PSY-1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Auditory Cortex, Basilar Membrane, Sound
Document Summary
Pressure at the oval window, by the hammer, anvil, and stirrup, of the middle ear sets the fluid in the cochlea in motion. Fluid waves result in the vibration of the basilar membrane and the tectorial membrane above it causing a bending of hair cells in the organ of corti. The bending of hair cells trigger a release of neurotransmitters into the synaptic space between hair cells and he neurons of the auditory nerves. This results in nerve impulses being sent to the brain. In the auditory cortex (in the temporal lobe), feature detector neurons respond to specific kinds of auditory input. Auditory system transforms, the sensory qualities of loudness and pitch into language of nerve impulses. High amplitude sound waves cause hair cells to bend more and release more neurotransmitters at the point where they synapse with auditory nerve cells. This results in a higher firing rate within the auditory nerve.
