Archive
Revisiting the Dancing Outer Hair Cell
Back in 2007, I posted a link to the video of a hair cell located in the cochlea, which is the sensory organ of hearing. I find the auditory system so fascinating, that I had to post it again.
Hearing Presentation on Nov. 21st
It has been a while since I last posted here, but school has managed to keep me quite busy! However, I am pleased to share that I will be returning to Clark Magnet High School this week to present to 9th graders on hearing health and conservation.
South Pasadena Middle School Presentations
On January 14, 2008, I prepared and presented the hearing conservation program titled, “It’s How You Listen That Counts” on behalf of the House Ear Institute at South Pasadena Middle School in Pasadena, CA. The goal of the presentation was to educate approximately 1,050 students (6th-8th graders) on basic anatomy of the ear, how we ear, safe sound levels, dangers of loud noise exposure and how to protect our hearing. The presentations ranged between 25-30 minutes and included a question and answer session. The students were a great group and asked some thoughtful questions!
An interactive portion of the presentation involved the use of a sound level meter to measure the loudness level of music in decibels (unit used to measure sound intensity). To show this, an iPod was connected to an external speaker and a student volunteer read the level displayed on the sound level meter as I increased the volume of the iPod. The purpose of the demonstration was to listen to what 85 dB sounds like and also emphasize the importance of the location of the sound source in relation to your ears. The students learned that sound intensity attenuates (decreases) as distance increases and how this can help us with protecting our ears.
As always, it was a pleasure to be able to meet with students in the community and contribute to their learning experiences. I hope that the information will help them make sound decisions, such as using earplugs in loud environments (ex. concerts) and setting safe volume levels on their mp3 players and other electronic devices. I am also continuously amazed at how receptive children and teens can be on hearing matters!
AudiologyNOW! 2008
AudiologyNOW!, the annual audiology convention held by the American Academy of Audiology (AAA) was at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, NC from April 2-5. This year, the convention was themed “Hear to Stay” to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the American Academy of Audiology. With approximately 7,000 attendees, the event offered learning labs, research poster displays, technological information and the Audiology Solutions exposition.
The expo featured products and services related to audiology including the latest developments in hearing aid technology. The expo included the following categories among many others: diagnostic instruments, hearing aid manufacturers and accessories, implantable devices, earmold/impression material, listening devices, earphones, batteries, and hearing protection. The Employment Service Center is available each year to provide an opportunity for employers and job seekers to network.
The DiscovEARy Zone was a free and interactive station designed for kids to educate about the human ear and hearing loss. More specifically, information about how the ear works, dangerous sounds, information about how to protect ears from loud sounds and hearing screenings provided by audiologists on-site. This was made possible using interactive computer kiosks, hands-on learning tables, displays and listening stations. The DiscovEARy Zone debuted at last year’s convention and was open to the public.
As a first-time attendee, I enjoyed every aspect of the experience and felt I gained some valuable resources as a student. One of the highlights of the event was having an opportunity to meet audiologists, other audiology doctoral students, and professionals and individuals involved in our profession. There was a wealth of information available, such as recent research findings and interesting case studies to learn from. With all the great events and activities, it was just a matter of having enough time to experience everything.
Next year, AudiologyNOW! will be held in Dallas, TX on April 1-4, 2009. For more information and to download the program (PDF) for AudiologyNOW! 2008, you can visit www.audiologynow.org.
MIT researchers discover a new hearing mechanism
An article on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) news website published on October 10, 2007 reported that MIT researchers have discovered a mechanism inside the inner ear that functions in a different way. For over 50 years, it has been known that sound waves inside the cochlea travel in an up-and-down manner. But the research team noted in the article has found that sound energy can also be carried by a traveling wave that moves from side-to-side. Read the article to learn more about the potential impacts of this discovery.
Click here to read the article: MIT finds new hearing mechanism
Dancing outer hair cell
This post is just another reason why our auditory system is so fascinating. To appreciate this movie, I need to give a short explanation of some auditory structures and their role in hearing.
The cochlea is a snail-shaped structure in the inner ear (beyond your eardrum) that is the sensory organ of hearing. There are microscopic hair cells with stereocilia at the tips within the cochlea that are responsible for moving in response to vibrations. Basically, it is the motion of the sensory hair cells that allows signals to be sent to the brain via the auditory nerve and process sounds we hear.
The image on the right shows a top view of the stereocilia of an outer hair cell in the cochlea. Credit: http://www.neuroscience.cam.ac.uk
Hair cells are most sensitive and contract at specific frequencies. They can degenerate over our lifetime with age and can also be damaged when we are exposed to very loud sounds, which is why it is important to always protect your ears. UK Scientist, Jonathon Ashmore was able to isolate a single outer hair cell and make it dance! That’s right, dance…presenting you with the DANCING OUTER HAIR CELL!
Read an explanation of movie from Ashmore’s website here: http://www.physiol.ucl.ac.uk/ashmore/hairexpl.htm
Upcoming Presentation
On Thursday, August 2, I will be conducting hearing conservation awareness information to the members of the Boys and Girls Club of Burbank, CA. I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to speak to 1st-8th graders about dangerous sound levels and method of protecting their hearing.
Free ear plugs and hearing health materials will be provided courtesy of the Hour Ear Institute’s “It’s How You Listen That Counts,” an awareness campaign for teens. Also, Ear Bud t-shirts will be rewarded as a prize during a short quiz session.
For more information about the event, visit their website: Boys and Girls Club of Burbank – News & Events
How we hear
I really doubt that you have ever had to tell your brain to hear. Luckily, we don’t have to. We have the ability to hear sounds and speech instantly on a continuous basis, without ever having to stop and think about it. The ear anatomy seems simple enough from the outside, yet the auditory system and the process of hearing are both fairly complex.
To learn about the process of hearing, check out the House Ear Institute’s website:
How we hear
Live. Love. Hear. 