Hearing/Speaking/Music
15 important questions on Hearing/Speaking/Music
What 2 basic features do sound waves have?
2. Amplitude (loudness) - the number of air molecules that are vibrating in a sound wave (an increased number of vibrating air molecules increases the amount of energy in a sound wave = sound is perceived as louder). The amplitude is denoted by the frequency of action potentials.
What is the function of the pinna (the outer ear)?
What is the function of the ear drum (the middle ear)?
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What is the function of the inner ear (cochlea)?
How does the ear determine what frequency the sound is?
Different parts of the basilar membrane vibrate at different frequencies of sound - beginning of the basilar membrane respond to high frequencies of sound; the end of the membrane responds to lower frequencies.
Receptor neurons on different parts of the basilar membrane respond to different frequencies of sound to form a tonotopic map
How does the ear convert sound waves into electrical signals?
Vibrations of these hairs result in the physical opening and closing of ion channels - hair cells bent in one direction = depolarization; hair cells bent in the other direction = hyperpolarization.
What is the purpose of outer hair cells?
What is the tectorial membrane?
- the outer hair cells are embedded in the tectorial membrane
- the outer hair cells can contract and relax which allows for further tuning as this changes the stiffness of the tectorial membrane
- the inner hair cells transduce the sound waves into nerve impulses
Where do hair cells send their axons?
How do we detect where a sound is? (sound localization)
i.e. sounds that originate on the left side of the body reach the left ear before the right ear. The difference in distance is detected by neurons in the brainstem and midbrain.
Where does conducting speech happen in the brain?
What is Broco's Aphasia?
Why can aphasia sufferers not read and write?
Why do some people stutter?
Stutters = a disturbance to the lateralization of function i.e. stuttering is due to competition for dominance between the left and right hemisphere. Neither side can decide who is in control, so both try and produce words = stutter
What does the right hemisphere do in terms of language and music?
It also plays an important role in processing music e.g. Maurice Ravel suffered a left hemisphere stroke and developed aphasia. However, his ability to recognise melodies remained intact. Unfortunately his lesion meant that he could not put music to paper.
= left hemisphere is important in the language of music e.g. noting down a melody
= since the right hemisphere responds to music, it means if you have a stutter you can still sing perfectly
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