http://www.hhmi.org/senses/start.htm
This page introduces the latest of the biomedical research reports
that the Howard Hughes Medical Institute publishes for general readers.
Seeing, Hearing, and Smelling the World guides us on a journey into the
fascinating world of the senses and the nervous system, where researchers
are working to understand problems of great potential benefit.
http://www.hhmi.org/senses/c/c110.htm
An unusual dance recital was videotaped in David Corey's lab at Massachusetts
General Hospital recently. The star of the performance, magnified many times
under a high-powered microscope, was a sound-receptor cell from the ear
of a bullfrog, called a hair cell because of the distinctive tuft of fine
bristles sprouting from its top.
http://www.hhmi.org/senses/c/c110-lg.htm
Enlarged photograph of David Corey and James Hudspeth, both major
contributers in discovering how the ear's hair cells respond to sound.
http://www.hhmi.org/senses/c/c120.htm
Because of the hair cell bundles' uncanny resemblance to
little antennae
and their location in the inner ear, the cells had long been suspected of
playing an important role in hearing. This view was bolstered by
clinical evidence that the majority of hearing impairments--which affect
some 30 million Americans--involve damage to hair cells.
http://www.hhmi.org/senses/c/c120-lg.htm
Enlarged photograph of 50 to 60 cilia at the top of a hair cell vibrating
in response to sound and producing an electrical signal.
http://www.hhmi.org/senses/c/c130.htm
The article discusses how the movement of a hair cell's cilia bundle
opens ion channels at the tips of the cilia. When the bundle tilts to the
right, tip links from higher cilia pull up the gates of ion channels on
adjoining shorter cilia.
http://www.hhmi.org/senses/c/c130-lg.htm
Enlarged sketch of hail cilia bundles . Opening mechanism is discussed.
http://www.hhmi.org/senses/c/c140.htm
Most of the 28 million deaf or hearing-impaired people in the United
States were born with normal hearing. Their deafness generally results from
overexposure to loud noise, disease, or old age. After exposure to loud
noise, cilia within the inner ear disappear, fuse together or fall over.
http://www.hhmi.org/senses/c/c140-lg.htm
Enlarged photograph of a damaged cilia bundle.
http://www.hhmi.org/senses/front/120.htm#C4
Glossary of Anatomical terms relevant to the senses and the nervous
system in general.
Human Anatomy On-line
http://www.innerbody.com/indexbody.html
Ideal reference for students studying human anatomy and for those
who just want to know more about the medical descriptions commonly used
by doctors and nurses. It's the most informative and graphically detailed
program for the human body.
Clearing House for Noise Pollution
http://www.nonoise.org
The Noise Pollution Clearinghouse is a national non-profit organization
which seeks to:
raise awareness about noise pollution, create, collect, and distribute information
and resources regarding noise pollution
http://www.nonoise.org/aboutno.htm
About noise, noise pollution, and the clearinghouse provides definitions
for relevant terms
http://www.nonoise.org/library.htm
The Noise Pollution Clearinghouse Online Library includes noise related
articles from journals and books, and linkst o other noise resources. Noise
News features summaries of noise related articles appearing in major newspapers.
The online Law Library includes proposed noise legislation and existing
noise laws from federal, state, and municipal sources.
http://www.nonoise.org/library/niosh/criteria.htm
In 1972, NIOSH published Criteria for a Recommended Standard: Occupational
Exposure to Noise, which provided the basis for a recommended standard to
reduce the risk of developing permanent hearing loss as a result of occupational
noise exposure [NIOSH 1972]. NIOSH has now evaluated the latest scientific
information and is revising some of its previous recommendations.
Student Oriented (Interactive)
http://www.ppsa.com/ppsa/science/parray.htm
An interactive phase array lets you simulate regions of constructive
interference
http://www.ppsa.com/ppsa/science/interfer.htm
This exhibit lets you easily see interference patterns that are produced
by waves (think
about sound and light waves).
http://www.ppsa.com/ppsa/science/sndwav1.htm
http://www.ppsa.com/ppsa/science/sndwav2.htm
Watch sound waves from a moving source. Learn why a train whistle
sounds
differently as it passes by you. There are two sources so you can see interference
patterns.
Student Oriented (Hands-on)
http://www.mcrel.org/whelmers/whelm67.html
The transmission of sound waves through solid objects is demonstrated.
http://www.mcrel.org/whelmers/whelm11.html
Reed-like instruments are created from plastic drinking straws.
http://www.mcrel.org/whelmers/whelm01.html
Energy is a property of many substances and is associated with heat,
light, electricity, mechanical motion, sound, nuclei, and the nature of
a chemical. Energy is transferred in many ways. Waves have energy and can
transfer energy when they interact with matter.