Week

11
Neuroscience Notes
Special Senses II: Hearing & Equilibrium

Functional Overview of the Ear:
- Ear is Responsible for 2 Special Senses:
o Hearing – Associated with Outer, Middle & Inner Ear (Cochlear) Structures.
o Equilibrium - Associated with just the Inner Ear (Vestibular Apparatus)
- NB: Receptors for both = “Hair Cells”: (NB: their functional differences are due to specialised anatomy)
o How they Work:
§ Hair Cells have ‘Cilia’ projecting from their apical surface into gelatinous masses:
• Ie. Otolithic Membrane (in the Maculae of the Cochlea)
• Ie. The Cupulae (in the Crista Ampullaris of the Vestibular Apparatus)
§ These ‘Cilia’ are distorted by movements in the gelatinous masses à Change in Membrane
Potential (:. Hair Cells are Mechanoreceptors)
• The Greater the distortion, the greater the change in Membrane Potential.
• NB: The Polarity of the Change in Membrane Potential is determined by the
Direction of the distortion.
o How Distortion of Cilia causes the Change in Membrane Potential:
§ At the top of each cilia, there are Mechano-Gated K+ Channels, joined together by ‘Tip Links’
§ At Rest: Half of the K+ Channels are open, maintaining RMP.
§ If Distorted & Tip Links are Stretched: All K+ Channels open à Depolarisation
§ If Distorted & Tip Links are Compressed: All K+ Channels are closed à Repolarisation
o NB: Neurotransmission from Hair Cells à Cochlear Nerve Dendrites is via Ca+-Mediated Exocytosis.

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Ear Anatomy:
- Outer Ear:
(Air-Filled)
o Pinna (Auricle):
§ The Outermost part of the ear
§ The bit that funnels sound waves into the External Auditory Canal
o External Auditory Canal:
§ The canal that conducts the soundwaves waves into the Tympanic Membrane (Eardrum)
§ Contains Ceruminous Glands – Secrete Cerumin (Earwax)
§ Abuts the Middle ear @ the Tympanic Membrane (Ear-Drum)

- Middle Ear:
(Air-Filled Cavity within the Temporal Bone)
o Tympanic Membrane (Eardrum):
§ Thin, translucent, connective Tissue Membrane (Skin on outside, mucosa on inside)
§ Connect to the 3 Auditory Ossicles
§ Soundwaves cause it to vibrate à Causes the Auditory Ossicles to Vibrate.
o The 3 Auditory Ossicles:
§ Malleus (“Hammer”/“Mallet”)
§ Incus (“Anvil”)
§ Stapes (“Stirrup”)
§ NB: 2 Skeletal Muscles (Tensor Tympani & Stapedius) Reflexively contract when ears are
assaulted by loud sounds – Reduces Sound Conduction.
o Oval Window of the Cochlea:
§ Transfers Vibration of the Stapes à Into the Cochlea.
o Eustachian (Pharyngotympanic) Tube:
§ Equalizes pressure between the Outer & Middle Ear

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- Inner Ear – (Cochlea & Vestibular Apparatus):
(Fluid-Filled Bony & Membranous Labyrinths)

o Cochlea - HEARING:
§ The Spiral-Shaped Organ
§ Begins @ the Oval Window:
• The Entry Point of the Cochlea.
• The hole covered by membrane
• Separates the air-filled middle ear from the fluid-filled inner ear.
§ Ends @ the Round Window:
• The Exit-Point of the Cochlea
• Also covered by membrane
• Also separates the air-filled middle ear from the fluid-filled inner ear.
§ Consists of 3 Coiled Ducts – Separated by 2 Membranes:
• Scala Vestibuli (Vestibular Duct):
o Begins @ the Oval Window
o Ends @ the apex of the Cochlea
o Filled with Perilymph.
o Separated from the Scala Media by the Vestibular Membrane.
• Scala Media (Cochlear Duct):
o Runs through the middle of the Cochlea.
o Separates the Vestibular Duct & Tympanic Duct.
o Filled with Endolymph.
o Separated from the Scala Tympani by the Basilar Membrane.
o Contains the Spiral Organ of Corti: (See Next Page)
• Scala Tympani (Tympanic Duct):
o Begins @ the apex of the Cochlea
o Ends @ the Round Window
o Filled with Perilymph.

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 § The Spiral Organ of Corti:
• Sits inside the Scala Media & runs along the Basilar Membrane.

• Composed of:
o The Tectorial Membrane (Overlying the Hair Cells)
o Hair Cells (Receptors for hearing) – Associated with cochlear nerve fibres:
§ 1x Row of Inner Hair Cells – Has several inputs to the Spiral Ganglion
- Sends most of the auditory info.
§ 3x Rows of Outer Hair Cells – Has Only 1 input to the Spiral Ganglion
- Plays a role in Signal Amplification
o Supporting Cells
o The Basilar Membrane
• Cochlear Branch of the Vestibulocochlear Nerve Originates Here.

Cochlear Nerve

Scala Vestibuli

Scala Media

Scala Tympani

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§ Audiotransduction:
• Soundwaves are funnelled by the Auricle of the ear into the External Auditory Canal.
• à Soundwaves vibrate the Tympanic Membrane (Eardrum)
• à Eardrum vibration is passed through the Auditory Ossicles to the Oval Window.
o NB: This transfer of vibration from the EardrumàOval Window AMPLIFIES it
by ≈20x (As the eardrum surface area is ≈20x that of the Oval Window)

• à Oval Window vibration is transmitted into the Perilymph of the Scala Vestibuli.
• à Waves travelling through the Scala Vestibuli penetrate the Vestibular Membrane
at different points relative its Resonant Frequency & enter the Scala Media:
o High sounds resonate the Vestibular Membrane closer to the oval window
o Low sounds resonate the Vestibular Membrane away from the oval window

• à Waves exit the Scala Media by Penetrating the Basilar Membrane & enter the
Scala Tympani:
o The waves penetrating the Basilar Membrane cause it to Vibrate.
o Vibration of the Basilar Membrane pushes the Hair Cells in the Organ of Corti
up into the Tectorial Membrane, Distorting the Cilia & Initiating Graded
Potentials in the Cochlear Nerve.

• à Waves continue down the Scala Tympani & leave the Cochlea via the Round
Window – This prevents echoing of the sound waves within the Cochlea.

§ Pitch & Volume:
• Pitch – is coded in the area of the basilar membrane which is distorted by the wave.
• Volume – is coded by the degree of distortion of the hair cells by the wave.

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Pathway From the Cochlea to the Brain:
- Hair Cells à Cochlear Nerve (Incl. Spiral Ganglia) à Cochlear Branch of the Vestibulocochlear Nerve à
Cochlear Nuclei of the Medulla à

- à Superior Olivary Nucleus à Lateral Lemniscal Tract à Inferior Colliculus à Medial Geniculate Nucleus of
the Thalamus à
o Primary Auditory Cortex – (Conscious Sound)
o Superior Colliculus – (Auditory Reflexes – Startle, Turning Head, etc.)

§ Deafness:
• Conduction Deafness:
o Problem with Soundwave Conduction (Ie. Mechanical Structures)
§ Eg. Earwax
§ Eg. Perforated Ear Drum
§ Eg. Fused Ossicles
• Sensorineural Deafness:
o Problem with Soundwave Transduction (Ie. Neural Structures)
§ Eg. Damaged Hair Cells
§ Eg. Damaged Cochlear Nerve
§ Eg. Damaged Auditory Cortex

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 o Vestibular Apparatus - EQUILIBRIUM:
§ Vestibular Branch of the Vestibulocochlear Nerve Originates Here.
§ Consists of:
• A Vestibule, Containing:
o 1x Utricle:
o 1x Saccule:
• & 3 Semicircular Canals.

§ The Vestibule: NB: Both the Utricle & Saccule have a Maculae:
• Maculae = Receptor Organs for Linear Acceleration (Static Equilibrium)
o Provides Info about Orientation of the Head with respect to Gravity, Linear
Acceleration & Angular Acceleration.
• Composed of:
o Hair Cells (Cilia Project into the Otolithic Membrane)
o Supporting Cells
o Otolithic Membrane - (Gelatinous Mass with ‘Otoliths’ – “Ear Stones” – of
Calcium Carbonate Crystals resting on top. These ‘Otoliths’ provide the
inertia required to move the Otolithic Membrane during head movement)

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§ The 3 Semicircular Canals: NB: At the end of each Canal is a Swelling = “Crista Ampularis”:
• Crista Ampularis = Receptors for Rotation (Dynamic Equilibrium).
• Composed of:
o Hair Cells (Cilia Project into the Cupula)
o Supporting Cells
o Cupula – (Gelatinous Mass encircling the entryway of each Crista Ampularis.
Rotation of the head in the plane of the canal causes fluid movement over
the Cupula, distorting the Hair Cells)

• NB: There are 2 Semi-Circular Canals for each ‘Plane’ of Movement:
o One on each side of the head
o This allows you to determine the Direction of head motion.

• NB: Each Semi-Circular Canal is Responsible for a different Plane:
o Anterior – (‘Ear-to-Shoulder’ Motion)
o Posterior- (‘Nodding’ Motion)
o Lateral - (‘Shaking’ (‘no’) Motion)

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Equilibrium Pathways To the Brain:
- Equilibrium is Subconscious
- Info goes straight to the reflex centres in the Brainstem & Cerebellum:
o Vestibular Nuclei:
§ Integrates Balance + Receive some Visual & Somatic Inputs
§ Sends commands to Brainstem Motor Centres controlling Eyes & Neck/Limb/Trunk Reflexes.

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