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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...
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.
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.
Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex01:23

Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex

The somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobes is crucial for interpreting sensory data such as touch, temperature, and proprioception. The somatosensory cortex, situated in the parietal lobes, plays a vital role in interpreting sensory information like touch, temperature, and proprioception—awareness of body position. This specialized brain region features an organized structure wherein neurons at the top primarily process sensations originating from the lower body. In contrast, those at the...
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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 13, 2026

Stereotactically-guided Ablation of the Rat Auditory Cortex, and Localization of the Lesion in the Brain
09:29

Stereotactically-guided Ablation of the Rat Auditory Cortex, and Localization of the Lesion in the Brain

Published on: October 11, 2017

Rethinking hierarchy: the auditory system as an integrated cortical-subcortical network.

Michael Lohse1, Ben D B Willmore2, Andrew J King3

  • 1Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University College London, London, UK.

Nature Reviews. Neuroscience
|May 11, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The auditory system is not a simple hierarchical pathway but an integrated network where subcortical structures actively process sound information. This complex processing influences perception and behavior through extensive cortical-subcortical interactions.

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 13, 2026

Stereotactically-guided Ablation of the Rat Auditory Cortex, and Localization of the Lesion in the Brain
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Published on: October 11, 2017

Combined Shuttle-Box Training with Electrophysiological Cortex Recording and Stimulation as a Tool to Study Perception and Learning
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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Auditory System Research
  • Sensory Processing

Background:

  • Mammalian sensory systems traditionally viewed as hierarchical pathways.
  • Auditory pathway has complex, recurrently connected subcortical nuclei.
  • Subcortical nuclei transmit pre-processed information to the cortex.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Re-evaluate the traditional hierarchical model of the auditory system.
  • Highlight the active role of subcortical structures in auditory processing.
  • Investigate the integrated nature of cortical-subcortical networks in audition.

Main Methods:

  • Review of emerging evidence on auditory pathway connectivity.
  • Analysis of subcortical nuclei's computational roles.
  • Comparison of auditory and visual system processing.

Main Results:

  • Auditory system functions as an integrated cortical-subcortical network.
  • Subcortical structures actively participate in computations like adaptive coding and multisensory integration.
  • Sound feature sensitivity is distributed across the pathway, modulated by non-auditory inputs.

Conclusions:

  • Subcortical structures are not passive relays but active processors.
  • The distributed circuit organization challenges traditional hierarchical views.
  • Understanding this network is key to comprehending perception and behavior.