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Related Concept Videos

Auditory Pathway01:15

Auditory Pathway

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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...
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The Cochlea01:13

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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.
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Hearing01:31

Hearing

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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.
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Anatomy of the Ear01:16

Anatomy of the Ear

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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...
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Hair Cells01:22

Hair Cells

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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.
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Auditory Perception01:17

Auditory Perception

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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...
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Insect hearing: active amplification in tympanal ears.

Bart Geurten1, Christian Spalthoff, Martin C Göpfert

  • 1Department of Cellular Neurobiology, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany and DFG Priority Programme SPP 1608.

Current Biology : CB
|November 9, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers found an active amplification process in tree cricket hearing organs, similar to the mammalian cochlear amplifier. This discovery sheds light on the mechanics of hearing in insects.

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Area of Science:

  • Bioacoustics
  • Auditory Neuroscience
  • Insect Physiology

Background:

  • The mammalian cochlear amplifier enhances auditory sensitivity and frequency selectivity.
  • Tympanal hearing organs in insects are crucial for detecting sound, but their amplification mechanisms are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the presence and nature of active mechanical processes in the auditory system of the tree cricket.
  • To compare the identified mechanisms with the known functions of the mammalian cochlear amplifier.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized laser Doppler vibrometry to measure tympanal membrane vibrations.
  • Performed mechanical stimulation and pharmacological manipulations to probe active processes.

Main Results:

  • Identified an active, non-linear mechanical process in the cricket's tympanal organ.
  • This process exhibits characteristics analogous to the amplification observed in the mammalian cochlea.

Conclusions:

  • The tree cricket's auditory system employs an active amplification mechanism, challenging previous assumptions about insect hearing.
  • This finding suggests convergent evolution of sound amplification strategies across different vertebrate and invertebrate auditory systems.