ANP1106B/C Anatomy & Physiology II

Frank Feiner, PhD, MD Lecture 21. March 30/31, 2020

University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
Posted March 31, 3 PM

Hearing & Balance II

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 LECTURE CONTENT
▪ The Special Senses, Lecture 4 of 4. Ch 15 :
o The Ear: Hearing & Balance/2 (Topic 7.4.4)
• Physics of Sound (pp 585-587)
• Sound Transmission to Inner Ear(pp 587-588)
• Sound Transduction (pp 588-589)
• Auditory Pathway/Processing (pp 589-590)
• Equilibrium & Orientation (pp 590-594)
• Homeostatic Imbalances (pp 594-596)

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PHYSICS OF SOUND

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585-587
PROPERTIES OF SOUND
▪ Light vs Sound Boom! *
o Speed:
• Light: 300,000 km/sec
• Sound: 0.311 km/sec * 5 sec later
o Travel through a vacuum? = 1 mile away
• Light: Yes
• Sound: No . Needs an elastic medium, eg air

✓ Speed of sound fastest in solids, slowest in gasses,

constant in same medium 5
585-587
PROPERTIES OF SOUND
▪ Source and Propagation
o Sound: alternating areas high/low pressure, produced by
vibrating object, propagated by molecules of medium
o eg Strike a tuning fork:
• Creates alternating areas of high (‘compressions’)
and low (‘rarefactions’) pressure in surrounding air
✓ ie creates a sound wave
✓ Wavelength and amplitude describe wave
✓ radiates in all directions but eventually dies out
Area of high pressure
(compressed
molecules)

Area of low pressure

(rarefaction)
. . . dies out .
Wavelength
Air pressure

Sound wave

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Amplitude Figure 15.28
585-587
PROPERTIES OF SOUND
▪ Source and Propagation (continued) Wavelength Figure 15.29a

o Frequency (ν) / Wavelength (ƛ)

• ν: number of waves/sec
• ƛ: distance between waves
✓ Shorter wavelength = higher
frequency/pitch
• Human hearing range:
20-20,000 waves/sec
(Hertz/Hz). Best is
1,500-4,000 Hz
• Most sounds mixes of
many pitches: sound
quality
✓ Provides richness
Messiah (1741), “Hallelujah” Choir of Kings College, Cambridge
and complexity Chorus. George Frideric Handel 7
585-587
PROPERTIES OF SOUND
▪ Source and Propagation (continued)
o Amplitude
• Intensity: wave crest height
• Loudness: subjective intensity
• Measured in decibels (dB) Figure 15.29b

✓ Increase 10 dB ➔ 10X intensity / 2X loudness

• Barely audible: 0 dB
• Conversation: 50 dB
• Noisy room: 70 dB
• Prolonged exposure >90
dB ➔ severe hearing loss
• Pain threshold: 120 dB
• Amplified rock:
✓ World record?? . Ottawa,
7/15/09: 136 dB . Who? 8
PHYSIOLOGY OF HEARING

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587
SOUND TRANSMISSION TO INNER EAR
▪ Sequence of events:
o Sounds set up vibrations in air
(a, b) Vibrations travel through external ear
(c) Vibrations beat against eardrum
(d) Eardrum pushes chain of tiny bones in middle ear
(e) Bones press fluid in inner ear against membranes
o Forces set up
o Pull tiny hair cells
o Nearby neurons
stimulated
(f) Impulses ➔ brain
o via CN VIII

Vestibulocochlear
nerve (CN VIII) 10
587
SOUND TRANSMISSION TO INNER EAR
Below
▪ Route of Sound Waves Through Ear range of
hearing
o Sound waves vibrate tympanic membrane
o Middle ear bones amplify waves, push in oval window
o Pressure waves in inner ear fluids, move through scala
vestibuli
o Low frequency sounds go round helicotrema, eventually
o Audible waves die out
‘shortcut’ through
cochlear duct ➔  Helicotrema 
Lec 20,
scala tympani , 
Sl 36 excite spiral organ
(not shown) on
basilar membrane ‘shortcut’
(next slide)
o Round window  Scala tympani
bulges out to
relieve pressure 11
587-588
INTERNAL EAR
▪ Basilar Membrane
o Base: short stiff
fibers/apex: long
floppy fibers
o Vibrates at
different places,
depending on
sound frequency:
tonotopic
organization
o Sound
mechanically
processed before
transduction 12
Figure 15.31
588-589
AUDITORY TRANSDUCTION
▪ Hair Cell Excitation in Spiral Organ
o Section of basilar membrane moves ➔ Lec 20, Sl 36

stereocilia pivot ➔ tip links (bind stereocilia) tighten/loosen

o In turn, K+ and Ca++ ion channels open/close, which,
in turn, will send/stop sending graded potentials (GPs)
o As a result, hair cells release or stop releasing their
neurotransmitters ( ): APs generate/stopped
o Sound waves transduced: converted to electrical signals

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Figure 15.32
 AUDITORY TRANSDUCTION

Background music: Ludwig van Beethoven (see Slide 18) SOURCE

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[Reissner’s membrane, organ of Corti {spiral organ}: Lec 20, Sl 34 ]
588-589
INNER & OUTER COCHLEAR HAIR CELLS
▪ Protection of Hair Cells
o Afferent sensory nerve fibres from spiral ganglion
come from inner hair cells: auditory messages to brain
o Outer hair cells receive efferent messages from brain:
➔ contract/stretch (‘fast motility’) and change stiffness
of basilar membrane. Two results:
Only 5-10% ✓ Responsiveness of inner hair cells /

of hair cells ✓ Protect hair cells: negative feedback
are outer
hair cells loop dampens basilar membrane motion

Figure 15.27c. Detailed structure

of a spiral organ (Ear I, Sl 35)

Efferent nerve fibers

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589-590
AUDITORY PATHWAY TO THE BRAIN
▪ Inner Cochlear Hair Cells ➔ ➔ Cerebral Cortex
o Remember: thalamus
is the relay station for
all sensory information
o Primary auditory
cortex provides
conscious awareness
of sound
o Not all fibers from
each ear cross to other
side of brain – each
auditory cortex has
input from both ears Figure 15.33
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590
AUDITORY PROCESSING
▪ Outline of Simplest Aspects
o Perception of Pitch:
• Different frequencies selectively activate different
hair cells along basilar membrane ➔ interpreted as
specific pitches. Can hear many simultaneously
(Slide 7!!)
o Detection of Loudness:
• As volume increases, frequency of action potentials
from hair cells increases. Also, more of the ~10
bipolar cells per hair cell are recruited
o Localization of Sound:
• Most importantly by
superior olivary nuclei
• Relative intensity & relative
timing L/R compared
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 LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
▪ What caused his deafness?
“The controversy surrounding Beethoven’s personal tragedy is
mountainous because [it] was truly Promethean. Much of the
greatest music that ever lifted the human spirit flowed from his
pen and the most magnificent of this music [during the last 8
years of his life] Beethoven never heard”
(1770 – 1827)
McCabe BF. Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology. 1958;67:192-206
o Central deafness
o Cochlear
otosclerosis
o Degeneration of
organ of Corti
o Paget’s disease
o Lead poisoning
o Syphilis
o Smallpox
o Typhus Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony #9, Finale. Copying Beethoven (2006)
o TB
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EQUILIBRIUM & ORIENTATION

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590
EQUILIBRIUM AND ORIENTATION
▪ Overview
o Need input from ear, eye, muscle (see below)
o Ear - vestibular apparatus: 3 equilibrium receptors – 1
in semicircular canals (angular acceleration) and 2 in
vestibule (head position, linear acceleration)
 Macula


(There is also a
macula in
the eye !!)


(Lec 20, Sl 33)

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590-591
LINEAR ACCELERATION
▪ Anatomy
o Receptor: macula - v similar to hearing receptor - spiral
organ (Sl 15) - but without a basilar
membrane
o Receptor hair cells have stereocilia
and one kinocilium that project up
into otolith membrane [studded
with otoliths - Ca(CO3)2 stones]
o Macula of utricle horizontal, so cilia
vertical: horizontal acceleration,
head side-to-side detected
o Macula of saccule vice versa – Figure 15.34a

detects vertical movement

o Hair cells synapse with vestibular nerve, also
subdivision of CN VIII (vestibulocochlear) 21
591
ACTIVATING MACULA RECEPTORS
▪ Head Movements
o Otolith membrane
slides backwards/
forwards, bending
hairs, / APs in
vestibular nerve
o nb Macula responds
to changes in
velocity of head
movements, then
adapts – release of
neurotransmitters
that cause APs to
normalize (See below) 22
Figure 15.34b
592-593
ANGULAR ACCELERATION
▪ Anatomy
o Detect all rotational (angular) head movement
• Via semicircular canals in all 3 planes
o Receptor crista ampularis (cf spiral organ, macula)
• Cilia embedded in ampullary cupola
(cf tectorial/otolith membrane – next slide)
• Fibers of vestibular nerve encircle hair cell bases
Ampullary cupola

Figure 15.35a 23
SPIRAL ORGAN/MACULA/CRISTA AMPULARIS
EQUILIBRIUM: HEAD EQUILIBRIUM:
HEARING POSITION, LINEAR ROTATIONAL
ACCELERATION ACCELERATION

Vestibular
nerve fibers

Figure 15.27c Figure 15.33 Figure 15.35a

Umbrella

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 ROTATIONAL ACCELERATION/DECELERATION
592-593
▪ Why Twirling Figure Skaters Don’t Get Dizzy
o Rigid bony semicircular canals rotate with body
o Inertia (drag): endolymph briefly rotates opposite way
o Cupola bends ➔ hair cells excited ➔ APs
o After few sec, endolymph ‘catches up’, APs cease
• As if she is standing still, ie not rotating * Tells
brain
o Deceleration: b/o inertia, endolymph rotates we’ve
in direction opposite from body/bony canals slowed
• Cupola bends opposite ➔ hair cells inhibited* down

Source 25
Figure 15.35c
593
VESTIBULAR NYSTAGMUS
▪ “Rather Strange Eye Movements”
o Semicircular canal impulses also transmitted to eyes
o As endolymph initially backflows during rotation, eyes
slowly drift in opposite direction (➔)
o “CNS compensation”: eyes suddenly snap back ()
o Alternating eye movements continue until endolymph
moving in sync with bony semicircular canals
o Same phenomenon seen when decelerating
o This nystagmus accompanied by vertigo (sensation
of room spinning), N&V
• Fixating on 1 object as long
as possible, skaters can
stop vestibular nystagmus
o nb CNS diseases can also
sometimes cause nystagmus 26
593-594
EQUILIBRIUM PATHWAY TO BRAIN
▪ Three main sources
input to one of two
destinations
o Vestibular nuclei
(brain stem)
• Output to CNs: eye,
reflex neck, limb,
trunk movements
o Cerebellum
• Fine coordination of
muscle activity/tone
o nb Vestibular apparatus Figure 15.36

can’t automatically compensate

• Need CNS to keep body balanced,
weight distributed, eyes focused 27
HOMEOSTATIC IMBALANCES

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594-595 HEARING
▪ Deafness
o Conduction of sound to inner ear hampered:
• Earwax block of external acoustic meatus
• Perforated (ruptured) eardrum
• Middle ear inflammation (otitis media–above)
• Otosclerosis – ossicles fused
o Sensorineural Deafness:
• Damage of cochlear hair cells - - auditory cortex
✓ Aging, loud noise, nerve degen., stroke, tumor
✓ Rx: cochlear stem cells / implants
▪ Tinnitus – Ringing in ear without auditory stimulus
o Causes: eg nerve degeneration, inflammation, meds
o ‘Phantom cochlear noise’[?]: ingrowth of neurons near
to ones destroyed. Junk signals from new ones 29
594-595 EQUILIBRIUM
▪ General
o Responses to vestibular apparatus unconscious reflexes
o Only [very] aware if malfunction: dizziness, nausea,
vomiting, loss of balance, nystagmus
▪ Motion Sickness
o Sensory input mismatch [?], eg while in car / at sea
o Warning signs:  salivation/sweating/respiration, pallor
o Rx: antimotion drugs eg meclizine, scopolamine–block
inner ear input to vomiting center in medulla
▪ Ménière’s Syndrome
o Symptoms: vertigo/nausea/vomiting, can’t stand erect,
‘howling’ tinnitus, impaired hearing ➔ deafness
o Cause:  endolymph? endolymph-perilymph mixing?
o Rx: antimotion drugs, Na+ diet/diuretics  endolymph,
last resort: remove labyrinth (when totally deaf) 30
NEXT (& LAST!) LECTURE: THURS APR 2

▪ Central Nervous System, Part 2, Ch 12 (Topic 7.5)

o Higher Mental Function (pp 454-464)
o Homeostatic Imbalances (pp 462, 468-470)
o Diagnostic Procedures (p 470)

Mastering A&P Assignment #9B (Special Senses II), will be posted

after the lecture and is due on or before Tues April 21 at 11:59 PM
Reminder: Mastering A&P Assignment # 9A (Special Senses I),
posted March 23/24 is due on or before Tues Apr 21, 11:59 PM

3 Sample exam questions from today’s lecture will be posted 31

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