tonotopic organization

the fundamental principle that different frequencies stimulate different places within structures of the mammalian auditory system. This organization begins in the cochlea, where different frequencies tend to cause maximal vibration at different places along the basilar membrane and thus stimulate different hair cells. The hair cells are discretely innervated, so different auditory nerve fibers respond to a relatively limited range of frequencies, with the maximal response at the best frequency of the fiber. This frequency-to-place mapping is preserved in the auditory cortex.

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Psychology term of the day

December 18th 2024

isoniazid

n. a drug of choice for the treatment of tuberculosis. Use of the drug can cause a form of neuritis by blocking the function of pyridoxine (vitamin B₆) in metabolizing glutamic acid to form the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid. Isoniazid is structurally related to a known monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), iproniazid, and was reputed to have some antidepressant activity, although it is not clinically used in this role and is not an MAOI. Also called isonicotinic acid hydrazide (INH).