Concept explainers
To review:
The auditory pathway to the cerebral cortex.
Introduction:
The ear contains mainly three parts, external ear, middle ear, and the internal ear. The ear consists of the pinna and the external acoustic meatus. The pinna collects the sound waves and sends it to the external acoustic meatus. From the various parts of the ear, the sound wave transmits to the auditory center, which lies in the cerebral cortex of the brain.
The cochlear hair cell receptors transmit auditory information to the cerebral cortex through the ascending auditory pathway. In the first step, impulses reach the cochlear nuclei in the medulla via the cochlear nerve. Then, it reaches the junction of the medulla and pons where superior olivary nuclei is present. It further ascends to the inferior colliculus through lateral lemniscus.
From the inferior colliculus, the auditory information reaches to the medial geniculate nucleus of the thalamus. Finally, conscious awareness of sound is generated when it reaches the primary auditory cortex by projecting axons of the thalamic neurons. Impulses from both ears reach each primary auditory cortex separately.
Want to see the full answer?
Check out a sample textbook solutionChapter 16 Solutions
Human Anatomy (8th Edition)
- describe external auditory canal and the tympanic membrane. (easy and simple and in own words)arrow_forwardDescribe the pathway of an action potential from thehair cells of the spiral organ to the auditory cortex.arrow_forwardDescribe the structure of the ear, focusing on the role that each component plays in transmitting the vibrations that enter the outer ear to the auditory receptors in the inner ear. Please include references.arrow_forward
- Trace the path of sound waves from the external acoustic meatus to the hearing receptors.arrow_forwardList, in order, the structures that must conduct a soundwave from the time it enters the auditory canal until itreaches the cochlea.arrow_forwardExplain the process from Cochlea to the Auditory Cortex ?arrow_forward
- a) choose one part of the auditory sensorineural mechanism--the inner ear or retrocochlear auditory pathway--and describe how sound is transduced through that part of the auditory system, and (b) comment on how the anatomy of that part of the ear enables normal auditory sensorineural physiology.arrow_forwardWhat is the definition for Central Auditory Processing?arrow_forwardDefine cochlear nucleusarrow_forward
- Human Physiology: From Cells to Systems (MindTap ...BiologyISBN:9781285866932Author:Lauralee SherwoodPublisher:Cengage Learning