Question 1

All auditory nerve fibers initially synapse in the

Accepted Answer

A)  cochlear nucleus. 
B)  cerebellum. 
C)  belt area. 
D)  parabelt area. 
E)  primary auditory cortex. 
A)  cochlear nucleus. 
B)  cerebellum. 
C)  belt area. 
D)  parabelt area. 
E)  primary auditory cortex. A

Question 2

Describe both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss and why they occur. Can they be treated?

Accepted Answer

Conductive hearing loss occurs when the bones of the middle ear are prevented from working properly. The most common cause is otitis media, which is when the middle ear becomes swollen and filled with mucus due to an infection. Otitis media typically resolves on its own after the body fights off the infection and the mucus is reabsorbed by the body, a process that might take up to several months. Otosclerosis, however, which is abnormal growth of the middle ear bones causing conductive hearing loss, will not naturally resolve on its own and requires surgery. Sensorineural hearing loss most commonly occurs inside the cochlea and can be due to damage to the auditory nerve fibers but more often is due to hair cells in the inner ear becoming damaged or destroyed. Drugs that are ototoxic can destroy hair cells directly, leading to sensorineural hearing loss. The most common source of damage to hair cells in the inner ear is from exposure to excessively noisy environments such as construction zones or extremely loud concerts. Hearing aids can help people to overcome sensorineural hearing loss by amplifying sound for frequencies that are severely impacted. Finally, cochlear implants may provide the ability to hear for people who are completely deaf due to a lack of hair cells in the cochlea.

Question 3

What is the correct order for the structures through which sound information is transferred from the cochlea to the auditory cortex?

Accepted Answer

A)  Medial geniculate nucleus, superior olive, inferior colliculus 
B)  Medial geniculate nucleus, inferior colliculus, superior olive 
C)  Superior olive, medial geniculate nucleus, inferior colliculus 
D)  Superior olive, inferior colliculus, medial geniculate nucleus 
E)  Inferior colliculus, medial geniculate nucleus, superior olive 
A)  Medial geniculate nucleus, superior olive, inferior colliculus 
B)  Medial geniculate nucleus, inferior colliculus, superior olive 
C)  Superior olive, medial geniculate nucleus, inferior colliculus 
D)  Superior olive, inferior colliculus, medial geniculate nucleus 
E)  Inferior colliculus, medial geniculate nucleus, superior olive D

Question 4

Why is white noise the best choice for masking random sounds in an environment?

Accepted Answer

A)  White noise consists mostly of low frequencies, which are the best at masking random sounds since they also tend to be mostly low frequencies. 
B)  White noise consists mostly of medium frequencies, which are the best at masking random sounds since they also tend to be mostly medium frequencies. 
C)  White noise consists mostly of high frequencies, which are the best at masking random sounds since they also tend to be mostly high frequencies. 
D)  Since white noise includes energy at all frequencies, it is good at masking random sounds of any frequency. 
E)  The structured and cyclical nature of white noise provides a clear pattern that interferes with the perception of random sounds in the environment. 
A)  White noise consists mostly of low frequencies, which are the best at masking random sounds since they also tend to be mostly low frequencies. 
B)  White noise consists mostly of medium frequencies, which are the best at masking random sounds since they also tend to be mostly medium frequencies. 
C)  White noise consists mostly of high frequencies, which are the best at masking random sounds since they also tend to be mostly high frequencies. 
D)  Since white noise includes energy at all frequencies, it is good at masking random sounds of any frequency. 
E)  The structured and cyclical nature of white noise provides a clear pattern that interferes with the perception of random sounds in the environment.

Question 5

_______ refers to the idea that multiple neurons can provide a temporal code for frequency if each neuron fires first at a distinct point in the period of a sound wave but does not fire on every period.

Accepted Answer

A)  Phase locking 
B)  Two-tone suppression 
C)  The volley principle 
D)  Place code 
E)  Rate saturation 
A)  Phase locking 
B)  Two-tone suppression 
C)  The volley principle 
D)  Place code 
E)  Rate saturation

Question 6

Refer to the graph.
  What change to the sound wave depicted in the top graph would cause the neuron in the bottom graph to fire less often?

Accepted Answer

A)  Increasing the amplitude 
B)  Decreasing the amplitude 
C)  Increasing the frequency 
D)  Decreasing the frequency 
E)  Increasing both frequency and amplitude. 
A)  Increasing the amplitude 
B)  Decreasing the amplitude 
C)  Increasing the frequency 
D)  Decreasing the frequency 
E)  Increasing both frequency and amplitude.

Question 7

The organ of Corti is a structure on the basilar membrane composed of _______ and dendrites of auditory nerve fibers.

Accepted Answer

A)  hair cells 
B)  tiny bones 
C)  fluid-filled chambers 
D)  muscles 
E)  mucous 
A)  hair cells 
B)  tiny bones 
C)  fluid-filled chambers 
D)  muscles 
E)  mucous

Question 8

The acoustic reflex protects the ear from intense sounds by

Accepted Answer

A)  transmitting only low-frequency sounds to the brain. 
B)  contraction of the stapedius and tensor tympani muscles. 
C)  opening the oval window to transmit vibrations to the round window. 
D)  transmitting loud noises back to the ear canal. 
E)  stiffening the round tympanic membrane. 
A)  transmitting only low-frequency sounds to the brain. 
B)  contraction of the stapedius and tensor tympani muscles. 
C)  opening the oval window to transmit vibrations to the round window. 
D)  transmitting loud noises back to the ear canal. 
E)  stiffening the round tympanic membrane.

Question 9

Refer to the figure.
  What principle is illustrated in this figure?

Accepted Answer

A)  Two-tone suppression 
B)  Auditory transduction principle 
C)  Frequency saturation 
D)  The volley principle 
E)  The isointensity principle 
A)  Two-tone suppression 
B)  Auditory transduction principle 
C)  Frequency saturation 
D)  The volley principle 
E)  The isointensity principle

Question 10

Which type of hearing loss is due to chemicals, such as antibiotics, or cancer drugs that kill hair cells in the inner ear?

Accepted Answer

A)  Otosclerosis 
B)  Ototoxic 
C)  Sensorineural 
D)  Ottitis media 
E)  Cochlear atrophy 
A)  Otosclerosis 
B)  Ototoxic 
C)  Sensorineural 
D)  Ottitis media 
E)  Cochlear atrophy

Question 11

A machine can create 10 lollipops per second. How many Hz is that?

Accepted Answer

A)  1 
B)  2 
C)  10 
D)  20 
E)  100 
A)  1 
B)  2 
C)  10 
D)  20 
E)  100

Question 12

A complex sound consists of

Accepted Answer

A)  many sinusoidal components of different frequencies. 
B)  several cycles. 
C)  phases. 
D)  periods originating from the same sinusoidal component. 
E)  cycles at more than 1000 Hz. 
A)  many sinusoidal components of different frequencies. 
B)  several cycles. 
C)  phases. 
D)  periods originating from the same sinusoidal component. 
E)  cycles at more than 1000 Hz.

Question 13

The _______ is where fine changes in sound pressure in the environment are translated into neural signals.

Accepted Answer

A)  outer ear 
B)  middle ear 
C)  inner ear 
D)  tympanic canal 
E)  oval window 
A)  outer ear 
B)  middle ear 
C)  inner ear 
D)  tympanic canal 
E)  oval window

Question 14

A computer CPU's processing power is measured in Hz (usually giga-Hz, GHz) because it depends on the

Accepted Answer

A)  amount of heat the chip generates. 
B)  complexity of each operation it performs. 
C)  amount of electricity it requires. 
D)  amplitude of the operations it performs. 
E)  number of operations it performs per second. 
A)  amount of heat the chip generates. 
B)  complexity of each operation it performs. 
C)  amount of electricity it requires. 
D)  amplitude of the operations it performs. 
E)  number of operations it performs per second.

Question 15

Refer to the figure.
  This figure shows what happens when _______ causes a displacement along the cochlear partition.

Accepted Answer

A)  neural firing 
B)  the auditory system 
C)  vibration 
D)  place code 
E)  head tilt 
A)  neural firing 
B)  the auditory system 
C)  vibration 
D)  place code 
E)  head tilt

Question 16

Refer to the figure.
  This figure depicts the _______ of four different sounds.

Accepted Answer

A)  "high risk" thresholds 
B)  pain thresholds 
C)  harmonic spectra 
D)  normal atmospheric pressure 
E)  audible range 
A)  "high risk" thresholds 
B)  pain thresholds 
C)  harmonic spectra 
D)  normal atmospheric pressure 
E)  audible range

Question 17

Some auditory nerves fire in synchrony at a particular point in the period of a sound wave, which is called

Accepted Answer

A)  phase locking. 
B)  place code. 
C)  rate saturation. 
D)  threshold tuning. 
E)  branching. 
A)  phase locking. 
B)  place code. 
C)  rate saturation. 
D)  threshold tuning. 
E)  branching.

Question 18

What happens if the ear canal is blocked, as when wearing earplugs?

Accepted Answer

A)  The pinna is no longer be able to collect sounds from the environment. 
B)  The ossicles within the ear canal are blocked from moving. 
C)  Sounds echo in the ear canal, making them seem louder. 
D)  The tympanic membrane vibrates less vigorously. 
E)  The tympanic membrane shrinks, causing temporary deafness. 
A)  The pinna is no longer be able to collect sounds from the environment. 
B)  The ossicles within the ear canal are blocked from moving. 
C)  Sounds echo in the ear canal, making them seem louder. 
D)  The tympanic membrane vibrates less vigorously. 
E)  The tympanic membrane shrinks, causing temporary deafness.

Question 19

Which type of hearing loss is due to abnormal growth of the middle-ear bones?

Accepted Answer

A)  Otosclerosis 
B)  Ototoxic 
C)  Sensorineural 
D)  Ottitis media 
E)  Cochlear atrophy 
A)  Otosclerosis 
B)  Ototoxic 
C)  Sensorineural 
D)  Ottitis media 
E)  Cochlear atrophy

Question 20

Refer to the graph.
  Based on the graph, why would a song sound "muddy" if the volume is turned up really high?

Accepted Answer

A)  Some of the auditory nerve fibers would be overwhelmed by the volume and stop responding to the song. 
B)  The auditory nerve fibers would respond to a wider range of wavelengths, making individual frequencies in the song less precisely encoded. 
C)  The increased volume would cause the auditory nerve fibers to become even more selective in terms of which frequencies they respond to. 
D)  The increased volume would cause the ossicles in the middle ear to "rattle," interfering with sound perception. 
E)  Louder sounds have an overrepresentation of lower frequencies, which overstimulates the basilar membrane, causing it to induce too much shearing motion on the hair cells in the cochlea. 
A)  Some of the auditory nerve fibers would be overwhelmed by the volume and stop responding to the song. 
B)  The auditory nerve fibers would respond to a wider range of wavelengths, making individual frequencies in the song less precisely encoded. 
C)  The increased volume would cause the auditory nerve fibers to become even more selective in terms of which frequencies they respond to. 
D)  The increased volume would cause the ossicles in the middle ear to "rattle," interfering with sound perception. 
E)  Louder sounds have an overrepresentation of lower frequencies, which overstimulates the basilar membrane, causing it to induce too much shearing motion on the hair cells in the cochlea.

All auditory nerve fibers initially synapse in the

Describe both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss and why they occur. Can they be treated?

What is the correct order for the structures through which sound information is transferred from the cochlea to the auditory cortex?

Why is white noise the best choice for masking random sounds in an environment?

_______ refers to the idea that multiple neurons can provide a temporal code for frequency if each neuron fires first at a distinct point in the period of a sound wave but does not fire on every period.

Refer to the graph. What change to the sound wave depicted in the top graph would cause the neuron in the bottom graph to fire less often?

The organ of Corti is a structure on the basilar membrane composed of _______ and dendrites of auditory nerve fibers.

The acoustic reflex protects the ear from intense sounds by

Refer to the figure. What principle is illustrated in this figure?

Which type of hearing loss is due to chemicals, such as antibiotics, or cancer drugs that kill hair cells in the inner ear?

A machine can create 10 lollipops per second. How many Hz is that?

A complex sound consists of

The _______ is where fine changes in sound pressure in the environment are translated into neural signals.

A computer CPU's processing power is measured in Hz (usually giga-Hz, GHz) because it depends on the

Refer to the figure. This figure shows what happens when _______ causes a displacement along the cochlear partition.

Refer to the figure. This figure depicts the _______ of four different sounds.

Some auditory nerves fire in synchrony at a particular point in the period of a sound wave, which is called

What happens if the ear canal is blocked, as when wearing earplugs?

Which type of hearing loss is due to abnormal growth of the middle-ear bones?

Refer to the graph. Based on the graph, why would a song sound "muddy" if the volume is turned up really high?

Introduction

The First Steps in Vision: From Light to Neural Signals

Spatial Vision: From Spots to Stripes

Perceiving and Recognizing Objects

The Perception of Color

Space Perception and Binocular Vision

Attention and Scene Perception

Visual Motion Perception

Hearing in the Environment

Music and Speech Perception

Vestibular Sensation

Touch

Olfaction

Taste

Filters

Exam 9: Hearing: Physiology and Psychoacoustics

All auditory nerve fibers initially synapse in the

Describe both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss and why they occur. Can they be treated?

What is the correct order for the structures through which sound information is transferred from the cochlea to the auditory cortex?

Why is white noise the best choice for masking random sounds in an environment?

_______ refers to the idea that multiple neurons can provide a temporal code for frequency if each neuron fires first at a distinct point in the period of a sound wave but does not fire on every period.

Refer to the graph. What change to the sound wave depicted in the top graph would cause the neuron in the bottom graph to fire less often?

The organ of Corti is a structure on the basilar membrane composed of _______ and dendrites of auditory nerve fibers.

The acoustic reflex protects the ear from intense sounds by

Refer to the figure. What principle is illustrated in this figure?

Which type of hearing loss is due to chemicals, such as antibiotics, or cancer drugs that kill hair cells in the inner ear?

A machine can create 10 lollipops per second. How many Hz is that?

A complex sound consists of

The _______ is where fine changes in sound pressure in the environment are translated into neural signals.

A computer CPU's processing power is measured in Hz (usually giga-Hz, GHz) because it depends on the

Refer to the figure. This figure shows what happens when _______ causes a displacement along the cochlear partition.

Refer to the figure. This figure depicts the _______ of four different sounds.

Some auditory nerves fire in synchrony at a particular point in the period of a sound wave, which is called

What happens if the ear canal is blocked, as when wearing earplugs?

Which type of hearing loss is due to abnormal growth of the middle-ear bones?

Refer to the graph. Based on the graph, why would a song sound "muddy" if the volume is turned up really high?

Introduction

The First Steps in Vision: From Light to Neural Signals

Spatial Vision: From Spots to Stripes

Perceiving and Recognizing Objects

The Perception of Color

Space Perception and Binocular Vision

Attention and Scene Perception

Visual Motion Perception

Hearing in the Environment

Music and Speech Perception

Vestibular Sensation

Touch

Olfaction

Taste

Filters