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Updated: Jun 6, 2026
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Extracting the Cochlea from a Human Temporal Bone: A Cadaveric Protocol
Published on: August 18, 2023
Deaf in the time of the cochlea
Tom Humphries1, Jacqueline Humphries
1Education Studies, University of California-San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0070, USA. thumphries@ucsd.edu
Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education
|December 15, 2010
Summary
Deaf identity construction mirrors other cultural groups facing external pressures. Theorists like Martí and DuBois offer insights into navigating these complex social contexts and identity challenges.
Area of Science:
- Sociology of Identity
- Cultural Anthropology
- Linguistic Anthropology
Background:
- The American Deaf community has a long history of complex and contested identity definitions.
- Understanding Deaf identity requires examining its social and political contexts.
Discussion:
- Deaf identity construction is not unique but shares parallels with other marginalized cultural groups.
- Theorists Jose Martí and W. E. B. DuBois provide frameworks for understanding Deaf identity dilemmas and solutions.
- Identity is shaped by both internal community dynamics and external social embedding.
Key Insights:
- Deaf identity is a dynamic process influenced by social and political hegemony.
- Comparative analysis with other cultural groups reveals shared patterns in identity formation.
- Theoretical lenses from Martí and DuBois illuminate pathways for Deaf individuals and communities.
Outlook:
- Further research can explore specific socio-political stressors impacting Deaf identity.
- Investigating the application of Martí and DuBois' theories in diverse cultural contexts is warranted.
- This framework can inform strategies for empowering marginalized cultural groups in identity assertion.
Related Concept Videos
01:13The Cochlea
The cochlea is a coiled structure in the inner ear that contains hair cells—the sensory receptors of the auditory system. Sound waves are transmitted to the cochlea by small bones attached to the eardrum called the ossicles, which vibrate the oval window that leads to the inner ear. This causes fluid in the chambers of the cochlea to move, vibrating the basilar membrane.
01:22Hair Cells
Hair cells are the sensory receptors of the auditory system—they transduce mechanical sound waves into electrical energy that the nervous system can understand. Hair cells are located in the organ of Corti within the cochlea of the inner ear, between the basilar and tectorial membranes. The actual sensory receptors are called inner hair cells. The outer hair cells serve other functions, such as sound amplification in the cochlea, and are not discussed in detail here.
01:16Anatomy of the Ear
Auditory sensation, commonly called hearing, involves the transformation of sonic waves into neural impulses facilitated by the structures of the auditory organ. The prominent, flesh-like structure on the side of the head, called the auricle, directs sound waves towards the auditory canal. The auricle is often mislabeled as the pinna, a term more aligned with mobile structures like a feline's external ear. The auditory canal penetrates the cranium via the external auditory meatus of the...
01:15Auditory Pathway
Auditory pathways constitute the complex neural circuits responsible for transmitting and interpreting auditory information from the peripheral auditory system to the brain. Sound waves are initially captured by the outer ear, funneled through the ear canal, and reach the tympanic membrane (eardrum). These vibrations are transmitted via the middle ear's ossicles to the inner ear's cochlea.
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking the...
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking the...
01:31Hearing
When we hear a sound, our nervous system is detecting sound waves—pressure waves of mechanical energy traveling through a medium. The frequency of the wave is perceived as pitch, while the amplitude is perceived as loudness.
01:11The Auditory Ossicles
The auditory ossicles of the middle ear transmit sounds from the air as vibrations to the fluid-filled cochlea. The auditory ossicles consist of two malleus (hammer) bones, two incus (anvil) bones, and two stapes (stirrups), one on each side. These bones develop during the fetal stage and are the ones to ossify first. They are fully mature at birth and do not grow afterward.
The aptly named stapes look very much like a stirrup. The three ossicles are unique to mammals, and each plays a role in...
The aptly named stapes look very much like a stirrup. The three ossicles are unique to mammals, and each plays a role in...