Inner Ear and Auditory Pathway

Inner Ear
- Vestibular organs
- Cochlea
- Organ of Corti
  - Basilar membrane
  - Inner and outer hair cells
  - Tectorial membrane
Auditory pathway
- Tonotopic organization
- Auditory nerve (CN VIII)
- Coding of frequency and intensity
- Cochlear nucleus, inferior colliculus, medial geniculate body, auditory radiation, auditory cortex

Objectives

Label on diagrams and identify from description the structures of the inner ear
Identify which structures of the inner ear contribute to balance and which contribute to hearing
Identify the functions of the inner hair cells and outer hair cells
Describe the motion of the basilar membrane
Describe how frequency information is coded by the inner ear
Briefly explain the effect of outer hair cell motility on hearing sensitivity
Explain how nerve impulses are transmitted by mechanotransduction of the hair cells
List the hearing consequences of outer hair cell and inner hair cell loss
Define tonotopic organization
Describe how tonotopic organization is maintained in basilar membrane, auditory nerve, and auditory cortex
Describe the functions of the cochlear nucleus, inferior colliculus, medial geniculate body, and auditory cortex
Explain how sound is represented bilaterally in the auditory cortex