AUDITORY NERVE Meaning and
Definition
-
The auditory nerve is a crucial component of the human auditory system, responsible for transmitting electrical signals from the inner ear to the brain. It is also known as the cochlear nerve or the eighth cranial nerve. Structurally, the auditory nerve consists of thousands of small fibers, or axons, which arise from the hair cells in the cochlea and gather together to form a bundle. These fibers serve as conduits, carrying auditory information in the form of electrical signals to the brain's auditory centers.
Functionally, the auditory nerve is primarily involved in conveying sound information to the brain, enabling the perception of hearing. When sound waves enter the ear, they cause tiny hair cells in the cochlea to vibrate. These vibrations then stimulate the auditory nerve fibers, which convert the mechanical energy of the sound waves into electrical signals. The different frequencies and intensities of the sound waves are encoded by variations in the firing rate and pattern of these electrical signals.
Once the auditory nerve fibers transmit the electrical signals to the brain, they synapse with neurons in the auditory pathways. From there, the auditory information is relayed to various brain regions, including the brainstem and the auditory cortex, where the sound is perceived and processed.
Damage or impairment to the auditory nerve can result in hearing loss or other auditory disorders. In some cases, medical interventions such as cochlear implants may be used to bypass damaged portions of the auditory nerve and restore hearing abilities.
-
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for AUDITORY NERVE
- zuditory nerve
- suditory nerve
- wuditory nerve
- quditory nerve
- ayditory nerve
- ahditory nerve
- ajditory nerve
- aiditory nerve
- a8ditory nerve
- a7ditory nerve
- ausitory nerve
- auxitory nerve
- aucitory nerve
- aufitory nerve
- auritory nerve
- aueitory nerve
- audutory nerve
- audjtory nerve
- audktory nerve
Etymology of AUDITORY NERVE
The word "auditory" is derived from the Latin word "audire", which means "to hear". The term "nerve" comes from the Latin word "nervus", meaning "sinew" or "tendon". Therefore, the term "auditory nerve" refers to the nerve responsible for hearing.
Similar spelling words for AUDITORY NERVE
- auditory canal,
- auditory cortex,
- Auditory Ossicle,
- auditory area,
- auditory center,
- auditory meatus,
- auditory system,
- auditory tube,
- auditory sense,
- auditory image,
- auditory modality,
- auditory agnosia,
- auditory aphasia.
Infographic
Add the infographic to your website:
