Auditory System Function and Mechanisms

The video tutorial explains how sound is a series of vibrations caused by changes in air pressure. It describes how sound waves are collected by the pinna, transmitted through the auditory canal, and cause the eardrum to vibrate. The tutorial details the amplification process in the middle ear and how pressure waves are created in the inner ear. It explains how the basilar membrane detects different frequencies and how signals are transmitted to the brain for sound decoding.

What is the primary function of the outer ear in the hearing process?

• To convert sound waves into electrical signals

• To collect and funnel sound waves to the eardrum

• To detect different frequencies of sound

• To amplify sound waves significantly

How does the ossicular chain in the middle ear contribute to hearing?

• It converts sound waves into electrical signals

• It amplifies sound energy to overcome resistance in the inner ear

• It filters out low-frequency sounds

• It directly transmits sound to the auditory cortex

What role does the oval window play in the inner ear?

• It converts mechanical energy into electrical signals

• It creates pressure waves in the perilymph fluid

• It collects sound waves from the outer ear

• It amplifies sound energy

Which part of the basilar membrane is more responsive to higher pitches?

• The entire membrane equally

• The middle portions

• The basal portions

• The apical portions

How is pitch determined in the cochlea?

• By the point of maximum amplitude of movement on the basilar membrane

• By the speed of sound wave travel

• By the number of hair cells activated

• By the size of the oval window

What happens when the basilar membrane moves?

• It directly sends signals to the brain

• It causes the tectorial membrane to move, bending hair cells

• It amplifies sound waves

• It filters out unwanted noise

What is the result of the shearing forces between the basilar and tectorial membranes?

• Amplification of sound energy

• Direct transmission of sound to the brain

• Opening of ion channels in hair cells

• Generation of sound waves

How are action potentials generated in the auditory system?

• By the amplification of sound in the middle ear

• By the movement of the oval window

• By the bending of hair cells and opening of ion channels

• By the movement of the eardrum

Where are the signals from the hair cells sent for decoding?

• To the oval window

• To the middle ear

• To the auditory cortex

• To the outer ear

What is the function of the vestibular cochlear nerve in hearing?

• To collect sound waves from the outer ear

• To transmit action potentials to the auditory cortex

• To convert sound waves into mechanical energy

• To amplify sound waves