Question

Vander and Wang (2005) found that a neuron responded to a 182 Hz tone when presented alone but not when any of the other harmonics were presented alone. This neuron is an example of ________.

1) Frequency coding
2) Temporal coding
3) Place coding
4) Phase coding

Answer 1

The neuron responding to a 182 Hz tone alone is an example of place coding, which determines pitch based on the cochlear location where hair cells are activated. Place coding is used alongside temporal coding to perceive pitch up to 4000 Hz.

Step-by-step explanation:

Vander and Wang (2005) described a neuron that responded to a 182 Hz tone when it was presented alone but not when other harmonics were presented alone. This neuron is an example of place coding. Place coding is a model for how biologists understand pitch detection in the human ear, suggesting that the pitch of a sound is determined based on the location along the basilar membrane where the hair cells are stimulated. Sounds of high frequency vibrate the basilar membrane near the oval window, while lower frequencies travel farther along the membrane before causing excitation. This behavior contrasts temporal coding, which depicts pitch perception as relating to the rate of action potentials initiated by hair cells.

Both place coding and temporal coding can explain our ability to perceive pitch for sounds up to about 4000 Hz, with place coding predominantly encoding higher frequencies and temporal coding contributing to lower frequencies. Place coding relies on the orderly arrangement of hair cells on the basilar membrane which are most sensitive to specific frequency sound waves and respond differently based on the location that is stimulated.