Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

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...
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.
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.
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...
Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex01:14

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

The cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer, is pivotal in processing complex cognitive tasks, emotions, and various sensory inputs and executing voluntary motor activities. This intricate structure is divided into three primary functional areas: the motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex.
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...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Circuit architecture and axonal branching in the efferent auditory system.

Hearing research·2026
Same author

Ultrastructural characterization of neuropeptide Y synapses in the central inferior colliculus of the Fischer Brown Norway rat.

Neuropeptides·2025
Same author

The Ventral Tectal Longitudinal Column: A Midbrain Nucleus for Modulation of Auditory Processing in the Cochlear Nucleus, Superior Olivary Complex, and Inferior Colliculus.

The Journal of comparative neurology·2025
Same author

The Ventral Tectal Longitudinal Column: A Midbrain Nucleus for Modulation of Auditory Processing in the Cochlear Nucleus, Superior Olivary Complex and Inferior Colliculus.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

Acoustic features of and behavioral responses to emotionally intense mouse vocalizations.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

Expression of group II mGluRs in the inferior colliculus, medial geniculate body, and auditory cortex increases with age.

Neuroscience·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 28, 2026

In Vitro Wedge Slice Preparation for Mimicking In Vivo Neuronal Circuit Connectivity
10:31

In Vitro Wedge Slice Preparation for Mimicking In Vivo Neuronal Circuit Connectivity

Published on: August 18, 2020

Circuitry underlying spectrotemporal integration in the auditory midbrain.

Asuman Yavuzoglu1, Brett R Schofield, Jeffrey J Wenstrup

  • 1Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, Ohio 44272, USA.

The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience
|October 7, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Auditory neurons integrate sound frequencies for better detection. This study identifies specific brain pathways in mustached bats responsible for this combination sensitivity, crucial for processing complex sounds like echoes.

More Related Videos

Long-range Channelrhodopsin-assisted Circuit Mapping of Inferior Colliculus Neurons with Blue and Red-shifted Channelrhodopsins
07:04

Long-range Channelrhodopsin-assisted Circuit Mapping of Inferior Colliculus Neurons with Blue and Red-shifted Channelrhodopsins

Published on: February 7, 2020

Slicing the Embryonic Chicken Auditory Brainstem to Evaluate Tonotopic Gradients and Microcircuits
08:24

Slicing the Embryonic Chicken Auditory Brainstem to Evaluate Tonotopic Gradients and Microcircuits

Published on: July 12, 2022

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 28, 2026

In Vitro Wedge Slice Preparation for Mimicking In Vivo Neuronal Circuit Connectivity
10:31

In Vitro Wedge Slice Preparation for Mimicking In Vivo Neuronal Circuit Connectivity

Published on: August 18, 2020

Long-range Channelrhodopsin-assisted Circuit Mapping of Inferior Colliculus Neurons with Blue and Red-shifted Channelrhodopsins
07:04

Long-range Channelrhodopsin-assisted Circuit Mapping of Inferior Colliculus Neurons with Blue and Red-shifted Channelrhodopsins

Published on: February 7, 2020

Slicing the Embryonic Chicken Auditory Brainstem to Evaluate Tonotopic Gradients and Microcircuits
08:24

Slicing the Embryonic Chicken Auditory Brainstem to Evaluate Tonotopic Gradients and Microcircuits

Published on: July 12, 2022

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Auditory System
  • Computational Neuroscience

Background:

  • Combination sensitivity in central auditory neurons enables spectrotemporal integration.
  • This neuronal property is vital for processing complex acoustic signals like sonar echoes and social vocalizations.
  • In mustached bats, this sensitivity originates in the inferior colliculus (IC) and relies on specific frequency-tuned inputs.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify the anatomical sources of low and high frequency-tuned glycinergic inputs to combination-sensitive neurons in the mustached bat's inferior colliculus.
  • To establish the neural circuitry underlying spectrotemporal integration in the auditory midbrain.

Main Methods:

  • Combined glycine immunohistochemistry with retrograde tract tracing from high-frequency IC sites.
  • Utilized anterograde tracing from the anteroventral cochlear nucleus (AVCN) to investigate low-frequency inputs.
  • Examined neuronal labeling in the lateral lemniscus (VNLL, INLL) and superior olivary nuclei (LSO, MSO).

Main Results:

  • Retrogradely labeled cells, indicative of glycine input sources, were primarily found in the ventral and intermediate nuclei of the lateral lemniscus (VNLL and INLL).
  • Some double-labeled cells were observed in the lateral and medial superior olivary nuclei (LSO and MSO).
  • Evidence suggests VNLL and INLL receive excitatory low-frequency input from the AVCN, contributing to combination sensitivity in the IC.

Conclusions:

  • Combination-sensitive facilitation in the auditory midbrain arises from the convergence of high-frequency glycinergic inputs and low-frequency glycinergic inputs.
  • The ventral and intermediate nuclei of the lateral lemniscus play a significant role in providing these frequency-tuned inputs.
  • This study provides an anatomical foundation for understanding spectrotemporal integration and highlights the functional importance of the lateral lemniscus nuclei.