Quiz on Ear Anatomy

Definition: three tiny bones in the middle ear

• ear drum

• tympanic membrane

• stapes

• ossicles

Answer explanation

The term 'ossicles' refers to the three tiny bones in the middle ear: the malleus, incus, and stapes. The other options, such as 'ear drum' and 'tympanic membrane', refer to different parts of the ear.

Small wire inserted into the cochlea, typically through the round window.

• electrode array

• microphone

• electrode pairs

• vestibular system

Answer explanation

The small wire inserted into the cochlea is known as an electrode array, which is used in cochlear implants to stimulate auditory nerves, allowing for hearing. The other options do not accurately describe this component.

Definition: picks up sound from the environment

• microphone

• electrode array

• audiogram

• megaphone

Answer explanation

A microphone is a device specifically designed to pick up sound from the environment, converting it into an electrical signal. The other options do not serve this primary function.

A tightly stretched membrane at the end of the ear canal that vibrates when hit by sound waves.

• ear drum

• ossicles

• ear canal

• cochlea

Answer explanation

The ear drum, or tympanic membrane, is a tightly stretched membrane at the end of the ear canal that vibrates in response to sound waves, making it the correct answer. The other options do not describe this function.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS3-5

A tiny bone that passes vibrations from the hammer to the stirrup, also called incus.

• hammer

• anvil

• cochlea

• stirrup

Answer explanation

The tiny bone that passes vibrations from the hammer to the stirrup is called the anvil, or incus. The hammer (malleus) and stirrup (stapes) are other bones in the ear, but the correct answer for this function is the anvil.

Receives electrical signals from the external sound processor and converts them into impulses that stimulate the auditory nerve in the cochlea.

• vestibular system

• internal receiver

• electrode array

• microphone

Answer explanation

The internal receiver receives electrical signals from the sound processor and converts them into impulses that stimulate the auditory nerve in the cochlea, making it the correct choice.

Digitizes and analyzes the sound, generates a coded electric signal and sends it to the transmitting coil.

• anvil

• cochlear nerve

• processor (cochlear implant)

• internal receiver

Answer explanation

The processor in a cochlear implant digitizes and analyzes sound, generating a coded electric signal that is sent to the transmitting coil, making it the correct choice for this function.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ETS1-2

Three semicircular canals that provide the sense of balance, located in the inner ear and connected to the brain by a nerve.

• somatosensory system

• vestibular system

• internal receiver

• cochlea

Answer explanation

The vestibular system includes the three semicircular canals in the inner ear, which are crucial for maintaining balance and spatial orientation, connecting to the brain via nerves.

Medical record that shows hearing levels.

• audiogram

• microphone

• decibel

• auditory

Answer explanation

An audiogram is a medical record that visually represents an individual's hearing levels across different frequencies, making it the correct choice for this question.

A coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear; sound waves traveling through the cochlear fluid trigger nerve impulses.

• ear canal

• ossicles

• ear drum

• cochlea

Answer explanation

The cochlea is a coiled, bony structure in the inner ear that contains fluid. Sound waves traveling through this fluid trigger nerve impulses, making it essential for hearing, unlike the ear canal, ossicles, or ear drum.