IHS FINAL EXAM 2026 FULL PRACTICE
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
◉ Otosclerosis. Answer: Disease that causes spongy growth around
the stapes and oval window
◉ Ossicular Discontinuity. Answer: When the ossicular chain comes
apart, bones in the ossicular chain no longer fit together properly
◉ Cholesteatoma. Answer: A growth typically occuring in the attic of
the middle ear
◉ Otitis media. Answer: Infection of the middle ear
◉ Barotrauma. Answer: Fluid collection in the middle ear as a result
of eustachian tube dysfunction
◉ Otalgia. Answer: Earache
◉ Eustachian Tube Dysfunction. Answer: Disrupts natural
opening/closing action and results in a lack of ventilation in the
middle ear cavity
,◉ Conductive hearing loss. Answer: Hearing loss resulting from
damage to or dysfunction of the middle ear system
◉ Ossicular Fixation. Answer: When the ossicles become fused and
immobile
◉ Middle ear effusion. Answer: Fluid in the middle ear
◉ Advantages of Binaural Hearing. Answer: 1. Localization
2. Hearing better in background noise
3. Ability to focus on one signal over another
◉ Perilymph. Answer: Fluid found in the scala vestibuli and scala
tympani
◉ Head shadow effect. Answer: Loss of sound intensity on the side
opposite the sound source
◉ Endolymph. Answer: Fluid found in scala media
◉ Organ of Corti. Answer: Sensory receptor or end-organ of hearing
in the cochlea
,◉ Binaural summation. Answer: Increase in the loudness of a sound
when both ears hear together
◉ Basal turn. Answer: Portion of the cochlea that responds to high
frequencies
◉ Apical turn. Answer: -Portion of the cochlea that responds to low
frequencies
-The end of the cochlea where the scala vestibuli and scala tympani
meet
◉ Sound localization. Answer: The brain processes differences in
loudness and time of arrival of a sound at each of the two ears to
determine where a sound is coming from
◉ Two parts of the inner ear. Answer: 1. Cochlea
2. Semi-circular canals
◉ Oval and Round Windows. Answer: The two openings that enable
transfer of energy between the middle and inner ear
◉ Frequency range of human hearing. Answer: 20-20,000 Hz
, ◉ Reissner's membrane. Answer: separates the scala vestibuli from
the scala media
◉ Basilar membrane. Answer: Separates the scala tympani from the
scala media
◉ Round window. Answer: Relieves fluid pressure created by
movement of the oval window
◉ Function of inner and outer hair cells. Answer: Change energy
from the pressure wave into the electrochemical energy necessary to
excite the auditory nerve
◉ Binaural squelch effect. Answer: Benefit of better listening in
background noise resulting from binaural hearing
◉ Function of the inner ear. Answer: Converts mechanical energy
into neural signals transmitted to and processed by the brain
◉ Three fluid-filled chambers of the cochlea. Answer: 1. Scala
vestibuli
2. Scala media
3. Scala tympani
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
◉ Otosclerosis. Answer: Disease that causes spongy growth around
the stapes and oval window
◉ Ossicular Discontinuity. Answer: When the ossicular chain comes
apart, bones in the ossicular chain no longer fit together properly
◉ Cholesteatoma. Answer: A growth typically occuring in the attic of
the middle ear
◉ Otitis media. Answer: Infection of the middle ear
◉ Barotrauma. Answer: Fluid collection in the middle ear as a result
of eustachian tube dysfunction
◉ Otalgia. Answer: Earache
◉ Eustachian Tube Dysfunction. Answer: Disrupts natural
opening/closing action and results in a lack of ventilation in the
middle ear cavity
,◉ Conductive hearing loss. Answer: Hearing loss resulting from
damage to or dysfunction of the middle ear system
◉ Ossicular Fixation. Answer: When the ossicles become fused and
immobile
◉ Middle ear effusion. Answer: Fluid in the middle ear
◉ Advantages of Binaural Hearing. Answer: 1. Localization
2. Hearing better in background noise
3. Ability to focus on one signal over another
◉ Perilymph. Answer: Fluid found in the scala vestibuli and scala
tympani
◉ Head shadow effect. Answer: Loss of sound intensity on the side
opposite the sound source
◉ Endolymph. Answer: Fluid found in scala media
◉ Organ of Corti. Answer: Sensory receptor or end-organ of hearing
in the cochlea
,◉ Binaural summation. Answer: Increase in the loudness of a sound
when both ears hear together
◉ Basal turn. Answer: Portion of the cochlea that responds to high
frequencies
◉ Apical turn. Answer: -Portion of the cochlea that responds to low
frequencies
-The end of the cochlea where the scala vestibuli and scala tympani
meet
◉ Sound localization. Answer: The brain processes differences in
loudness and time of arrival of a sound at each of the two ears to
determine where a sound is coming from
◉ Two parts of the inner ear. Answer: 1. Cochlea
2. Semi-circular canals
◉ Oval and Round Windows. Answer: The two openings that enable
transfer of energy between the middle and inner ear
◉ Frequency range of human hearing. Answer: 20-20,000 Hz
, ◉ Reissner's membrane. Answer: separates the scala vestibuli from
the scala media
◉ Basilar membrane. Answer: Separates the scala tympani from the
scala media
◉ Round window. Answer: Relieves fluid pressure created by
movement of the oval window
◉ Function of inner and outer hair cells. Answer: Change energy
from the pressure wave into the electrochemical energy necessary to
excite the auditory nerve
◉ Binaural squelch effect. Answer: Benefit of better listening in
background noise resulting from binaural hearing
◉ Function of the inner ear. Answer: Converts mechanical energy
into neural signals transmitted to and processed by the brain
◉ Three fluid-filled chambers of the cochlea. Answer: 1. Scala
vestibuli
2. Scala media
3. Scala tympani
