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Related Concept Videos

Auditory Perception01:17

Auditory Perception

The auditory system is essential for sound perception, utilizing various critical structures. When sound waves enter the outer ear, they travel through the ear canal and cause the eardrum to vibrate. These vibrations are then transmitted to the middle ear, where three tiny bones – the malleus, incus, and stapes – amplify the sound. This amplification is crucial, as it ensures that the sound vibrations are strong enough to be conveyed to the inner ear. These vibrations then reach the cochlea, a...
Auditory Pathway01:15

Auditory 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...
Hearing01:31

Hearing

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.
The Cochlea01:13

The 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.
Anatomy of the Ear01:16

Anatomy 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...
Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location01:21

Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location

The human brain perceives pitch through two primary mechanisms reflected in place theory and frequency theory. Each mechanism describes how sound waves are interpreted as specific pitches by the brain, offering insights into the intricate processes of auditory perception.
Place theory, or place coding, suggests that different pitches are heard because various sound waves activate specific locations along the cochlea's basilar membrane. The brain determines the pitch of a sound by identifying...

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An Automated System for Sound Localization Testing in Hearing-Impaired Listeners
07:52

An Automated System for Sound Localization Testing in Hearing-Impaired Listeners

Published on: March 13, 2026

Sexual orientation and the auditory system.

Dennis McFadden1

  • 1Department of Psychology and Center for Perceptual Systems, 1 University Station A8000, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712-0187, USA. mcfadden@psy.utexas.edu

Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology
|February 12, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Prenatal androgen exposure influences the auditory system and sexual orientation. Differences in auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) and otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) are linked to sex and sexual orientation, suggesting early developmental effects.

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Published on: October 29, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Biology
  • Auditory Science

Background:

  • The auditory system shows sex-based differences, with implications for prenatal development influenced by androgens.
  • Otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) are weaker in males than females from birth, a difference persisting throughout life.
  • Auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) also display early-life sex differences.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the influence of prenatal androgens on auditory system development and sexual orientation.
  • To explore sex and sexual orientation differences in auditory function.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) in infants and adults.
  • Measurement of auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) across different sexes and sexual orientations.
  • Review of research on non-human models with altered androgen exposure.

Main Results:

  • OAEs in nonheterosexual females are weaker than in heterosexual females, suggesting atypical prenatal androgen exposure.
  • Specific AEPs differ between heterosexual and nonheterosexual individuals of both sexes.
  • Animal studies indicate prenatal androgen exposure can "masculinize" OAEs.

Conclusions:

  • Prenatal androgen exposure appears to impact both the auditory system and sexual orientation.
  • These findings suggest a potential biological link between early androgenic activity, auditory development, and sexual orientation.