SHS 311
Comprehensive Resource To Help You Ace 2026-2027 Exams
Includes Frequently Tested Questions With Elaborated 100%
Correct Complete Solutions
Guaranteed Pass First Attempt!! Current Update!!
1. Know the anatomical terms introduced in class, know where the part is
located, and how it is connected to the other parts. (e.g., what are the four
parts of the peripheral auditory system and what are the three Ossicles in
the Middle Ear?) - CORRECT ANSWER - four parts of the peripheral auditory
system: outer ear, middle ear, inner ear, auditory nerve
- three ossicles in the middle ear: malleus, incus, stapes
2. Understand how standing wave is created in the Ear Canal and the resulted
resonant frequency. - CORRECT ANSWER when sound enters the outer ear
canal a part of it will be reflected by the tympanic membrane or ear drum;
when the original sound wave and reflected sound wave meet with each
other at a certain frequency there will be a standing wave in the outer ear
canal; frequency of standing wave would be equal to some speed divided by
4 times the length of the ear canal -> generally between 2000 and 4000
Hertz
3. What are the three ways the Middle Ear addresses the impedance
mismatch between air and the fluids and tissues of the Inner Ear? -
CORRECT ANSWER 1) area difference between the manubrium and the
stapes footplates will cause the pressure at the footplate to be about 17
, times higher than the pressure at the manubrium when the same force is
applied to both
4. 2) lever action of the ossicular chain because the supporting point for this
lever is more close to the stapes footplate than to the manubrium so the
force at the stapes footplate would be 1.3 times higher or stronger than
that at the manubrium
5. 3) buckling effect - middle part of the tympanic membrane that is
connected to the manubrium moves the most and thus effectively increases
the force at the manubrium by about 2 times
6. How does the Eustachian Tube help sound transmission through the Middle
ear? - CORRECT ANSWER Eustachian tube helps to connect the middle ear
cavity to the nasal cavity and to the outer world so that the air pressures on
both sides of the tympanic membrane are equal to each other, this way the
tympanic membrane can be in the resting state and be most sensitive to the
incoming sound
7. Why is the footplate of Stapes only connected to the Oval Window? -
CORRECT ANSWER this is to avoid the oval window and round window
being stimulated in the same direction at the same time, if that happens
their movements will cancel each other out making the sound transmission
to the inner ear very ineffective
8. Know the anatomical terms introduced in class, know where the part is
located, and how it is connected to the other parts. (e.g., what are the
three passages and the fluids in the Cochlea, what are the different cells,
membranes, and structures in the Organ of Corti?) - CORRECT ANSWER
Cochlea
- scala vestibuli and scale tympani are filled with perilymph
- scala media is filled with endolymph
,9. -stria vascularis helps maintain the ionic composition of the cochlear fluid,
which is vital to the transduction of sound vibrations into neural signals
10.What is the traveling wave? - CORRECT ANSWER when a sound vibration
reaches the cochlea it will generate a cochlear wave that starts at the basal
end and travels to the apical end along the basilar membrane and that
cochlear wave is called a traveling wave
11.How does the traveling wave change in terms of the location of maximal
vibration as the frequency of sound changes? - CORRECT ANSWER end
connected to middle ear ossicles is the basal end and the other would be
apical; low frequency input would generate the maximum vibration close to
the apical end while a high frequency will generate the maximum vibration
close to the basal end
12.What do isosentivity and isointensity measures of Basilar Membrane
movement look like? - CORRECT ANSWER - isosensitivity measure of basal
membrane movement would typically show a curve with a very sharp valley
- iso intensity measure shows curves with a sharp peak basically at that
location on a basal membrane the amount of movement is highest
for a particular frequency
13.How to determine the characteristic frequency from each measure? -
CORRECT ANSWER - isointensity: the amount of movement is highest for a
particular frequency, frequency for peak movement is the characteristic
frequency
- isosensitivity: the frequency corresponding to the lowest required
sound level is also the characteristic frequency at that location or
along the basilar membrane
, 14.How is the vibration of Basilar Membrane transduced into action
potentials? - CORRECT ANSWER process called auditory transduction-
>when the basilar membrane moves up and down the hair cells would have
shearing motion, the ion channels at the tip links of the hair cells would
open and close ,when the ion channels open the voltage difference
between the endoylymph and the hair cell body would push the potentials
through the ion channels into the hair cell body and would further cause a
temporary change in electrical potential
15.What are the physiological differences in the function of the Inner and
Outer Hair Cells? - CORRECT ANSWER - during the audio reconstruction the
inner hair cells are responsible for generating the action potentials that will
further be related to auditory neural fibers and central auditory nervous
system
- outer hair cells would change size in response to the electrical
stimulation and that would further increase the sensitivity frequency
selectivity and the nonlinear compression of our auditory system so
the outer hair cells are called the amplifier of our cochlea
Stop here - CORRECT ANSWER
How is an action potential generated? Name the different phases and associated
ion flow. - CORRECT ANSWER
What are afferent nerve fibers and what are efferent nerve fibers? - CORRECT
ANSWER
Comprehensive Resource To Help You Ace 2026-2027 Exams
Includes Frequently Tested Questions With Elaborated 100%
Correct Complete Solutions
Guaranteed Pass First Attempt!! Current Update!!
1. Know the anatomical terms introduced in class, know where the part is
located, and how it is connected to the other parts. (e.g., what are the four
parts of the peripheral auditory system and what are the three Ossicles in
the Middle Ear?) - CORRECT ANSWER - four parts of the peripheral auditory
system: outer ear, middle ear, inner ear, auditory nerve
- three ossicles in the middle ear: malleus, incus, stapes
2. Understand how standing wave is created in the Ear Canal and the resulted
resonant frequency. - CORRECT ANSWER when sound enters the outer ear
canal a part of it will be reflected by the tympanic membrane or ear drum;
when the original sound wave and reflected sound wave meet with each
other at a certain frequency there will be a standing wave in the outer ear
canal; frequency of standing wave would be equal to some speed divided by
4 times the length of the ear canal -> generally between 2000 and 4000
Hertz
3. What are the three ways the Middle Ear addresses the impedance
mismatch between air and the fluids and tissues of the Inner Ear? -
CORRECT ANSWER 1) area difference between the manubrium and the
stapes footplates will cause the pressure at the footplate to be about 17
, times higher than the pressure at the manubrium when the same force is
applied to both
4. 2) lever action of the ossicular chain because the supporting point for this
lever is more close to the stapes footplate than to the manubrium so the
force at the stapes footplate would be 1.3 times higher or stronger than
that at the manubrium
5. 3) buckling effect - middle part of the tympanic membrane that is
connected to the manubrium moves the most and thus effectively increases
the force at the manubrium by about 2 times
6. How does the Eustachian Tube help sound transmission through the Middle
ear? - CORRECT ANSWER Eustachian tube helps to connect the middle ear
cavity to the nasal cavity and to the outer world so that the air pressures on
both sides of the tympanic membrane are equal to each other, this way the
tympanic membrane can be in the resting state and be most sensitive to the
incoming sound
7. Why is the footplate of Stapes only connected to the Oval Window? -
CORRECT ANSWER this is to avoid the oval window and round window
being stimulated in the same direction at the same time, if that happens
their movements will cancel each other out making the sound transmission
to the inner ear very ineffective
8. Know the anatomical terms introduced in class, know where the part is
located, and how it is connected to the other parts. (e.g., what are the
three passages and the fluids in the Cochlea, what are the different cells,
membranes, and structures in the Organ of Corti?) - CORRECT ANSWER
Cochlea
- scala vestibuli and scale tympani are filled with perilymph
- scala media is filled with endolymph
,9. -stria vascularis helps maintain the ionic composition of the cochlear fluid,
which is vital to the transduction of sound vibrations into neural signals
10.What is the traveling wave? - CORRECT ANSWER when a sound vibration
reaches the cochlea it will generate a cochlear wave that starts at the basal
end and travels to the apical end along the basilar membrane and that
cochlear wave is called a traveling wave
11.How does the traveling wave change in terms of the location of maximal
vibration as the frequency of sound changes? - CORRECT ANSWER end
connected to middle ear ossicles is the basal end and the other would be
apical; low frequency input would generate the maximum vibration close to
the apical end while a high frequency will generate the maximum vibration
close to the basal end
12.What do isosentivity and isointensity measures of Basilar Membrane
movement look like? - CORRECT ANSWER - isosensitivity measure of basal
membrane movement would typically show a curve with a very sharp valley
- iso intensity measure shows curves with a sharp peak basically at that
location on a basal membrane the amount of movement is highest
for a particular frequency
13.How to determine the characteristic frequency from each measure? -
CORRECT ANSWER - isointensity: the amount of movement is highest for a
particular frequency, frequency for peak movement is the characteristic
frequency
- isosensitivity: the frequency corresponding to the lowest required
sound level is also the characteristic frequency at that location or
along the basilar membrane
, 14.How is the vibration of Basilar Membrane transduced into action
potentials? - CORRECT ANSWER process called auditory transduction-
>when the basilar membrane moves up and down the hair cells would have
shearing motion, the ion channels at the tip links of the hair cells would
open and close ,when the ion channels open the voltage difference
between the endoylymph and the hair cell body would push the potentials
through the ion channels into the hair cell body and would further cause a
temporary change in electrical potential
15.What are the physiological differences in the function of the Inner and
Outer Hair Cells? - CORRECT ANSWER - during the audio reconstruction the
inner hair cells are responsible for generating the action potentials that will
further be related to auditory neural fibers and central auditory nervous
system
- outer hair cells would change size in response to the electrical
stimulation and that would further increase the sensitivity frequency
selectivity and the nonlinear compression of our auditory system so
the outer hair cells are called the amplifier of our cochlea
Stop here - CORRECT ANSWER
How is an action potential generated? Name the different phases and associated
ion flow. - CORRECT ANSWER
What are afferent nerve fibers and what are efferent nerve fibers? - CORRECT
ANSWER
