1961 Nobel Prize - Georg von Békésy by

1961 Nobel Prize - Georg von Békésy by https://padlet.com/qin550/eixrm2m0f0cus5br Function of the Cochlea en-us 2023-02-24 01:19:23 UTC 2026-02-26 04:15:10 UTC hello@padlet.com 1552 - Discovery of the Cochlea qin550 https://padlet.com/qin550/eixrm2m0f0cus5br/wish/2493406702 My artifact is an illustration from Anatomical Engravings by Eustachio, in which he also details findings of what we now know as the cochlea.

Bartolomeo Eustachio (1500-1574) was an Italian anatomist who studied much of the body through careful dissection, including the kidneys, teeth, and, of course, the internal ear.

In his lifetime, Eustachio only publised a single book in 1563 called Opuscola Anatomica, where he published many of his discoveries. However, it was later discovered that around 1552, he directed the engravings of his anatomical findings in great detail in Anatomical Engravings, a set of 47 copper engraved tables with his detailed anatomical work that was never discovered until almost 1.5 centuries after his death. Upon latter examination of the engravings, his work contained high degree of accuracy and precision to real human anatomy.

Among these engravings was the correct structure of what is now known as the cochlea. Eustachio was the first documented scientist to precisely discover and accurately document the cochlea. His work, in both his published and unpublished pieces, largely directed research going forward.

Additional Sources:
1.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2242190/
2.https://www.historyofinformation.com/detail.php?id=186]]> 2023-02-24 03:26:34 UTC https://padlet.com/qin550/eixrm2m0f0cus5br/wish/2493406702 1561 - Gabriel Falloppio coins the term "Cochlea" qin550 https://padlet.com/qin550/eixrm2m0f0cus5br/wish/2493421213 As Eustachio was doing his work, Italian Anatomist Falloppio (1523–1562) was also exploring the human body. Earlier in his career, he studied religion, but discovered his talent and love for dissection and became an Anatomy Professor in Northern Italy, a position he held for the rest of his life. Eustachio and Falloppio were the leading Anatomists at the time.

Falloppio's work, like Eustachio, did much work on various parts of the human body, not just the cochlea. Most notably, Falloppio published his works in 1561 in Observationes anatomicae, which described and named many parts of the body that he discovered. Although some, like the cochlea, were previously discovered, he accurately re-portrayed them and gave them names, respectively. In terms of the ear, he accurately described the inner ear structure and also coined the term "Cochlea", which we still use nowadays.

Additional Sources:
1.https://gynecolsurg.springeropen.com/articles/10.1007/s10397-008-0453-3

]]> 2023-02-24 03:47:34 UTC https://padlet.com/qin550/eixrm2m0f0cus5br/wish/2493421213 1672 - Thomas Willis' Speculations qin550 https://padlet.com/qin550/eixrm2m0f0cus5br/wish/2493466621 My artifact is an illustration of the distribution of nerves published in Cerebri Anatome, one of Thomas Willis' (1621–1675) most famous works. Known mostly for his contributions to vascular anatomy, named the Circle of Willis and published in his Cerebri Anatome in 1664, Willis was an English Physician who greatly contributed to the field of Anatomy and Neuroscience.

In his last years as a scientist, Willis was still working hard, mainly publishing his thoughts on the relationship between soul and body. However, simultaneously and more relevant to the 1961 Nobel Prize, in 1672 and the same year he published his infamous de anima brutorum, he speculated that various tones produced by different audible sources differentially excite fibers of the acoustic nerve, which he previously classified in his earlier works.

While this was only his speculations, this brought in the idea of excitation of different parts in correlation with different tone inputs, whether that be on the nerve or elsewhere.

Additional Sources:
1.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4337668/
2.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2242190/
3.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4595957/

]]> 2023-02-24 04:54:03 UTC https://padlet.com/qin550/eixrm2m0f0cus5br/wish/2493466621 1683 - Tonotopic Organization qin550 https://padlet.com/qin550/eixrm2m0f0cus5br/wish/2493481530
My artifact is the cover of A treatise of the organ of hearing: containing the structure, the uses, and the diseases of all the parts of the ear, written and published by French Anatomist Joseph Guichard Duverney (1648–1730) in 1683. Not only was this one of the first pieces that provided a complete analysis of the ear (anatomically, physically, disease, functionality), but he detailed his theory of tonotopic organization of the cochlea.

In 1676, he became an anatomist at the Royal Academy of Sciences, where he studied lots of hands-on anatomy. In his book and with the help of Edme Mariotte, Duverney published that the cochlea functioned tonotopically. Although he was incorrect in claiming that lower frequencies resonated closer to the base and higher to the apex, this idea that the cochlea was the crucial instrument in hearing and its being tonotopically organized brought forth this idea for other scientists, which later modified his theory to the corrected form.

Additional Resources:
1.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7062978/
2.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2242190/

]]> 2023-02-24 05:21:06 UTC https://padlet.com/qin550/eixrm2m0f0cus5br/wish/2493481530 1851 - Discovery of the Organ of Corti qin550 https://padlet.com/qin550/eixrm2m0f0cus5br/wish/2493499392 My artifact is a visual representation of the Organ of Corti, as depicted by Italian Anatomist Alfonso Giacomo Gaspare Corti (1822-1876) in his paper "Recherches sur l'organe de l'ouie des mammiferes".

Corti received his degree in medicine in 1847 from Anatomical Institute of Joseph Hirtl. Shortly after, he moved to France, where the technology kept him. There, he shifted his focus to studying the anatomy of the inner ear. He soon learned how to prepare the cochlea to optimally study it, and in 1851, he produced his now famous paper (mentioned above in my artifact description) that detailed the anatomical structures of the main components that make up the Organ of Corti within the cochlea: hair cells, tectorial membrane, ductus vascularis, and the vascular epithelium.

This is important because it provided fine detail for anatomical structure of the Cochlea's organs, which provided a basis of mechanism that much science onward upward upon.

Additional Sources:
1.https://hearinghealthmatters.org/hearing-international/2014/organ-corti/
2.https://psychology.fandom.com/wiki/Organ_of_Corti

]]> 2023-02-24 05:52:13 UTC https://padlet.com/qin550/eixrm2m0f0cus5br/wish/2493499392 1863 - Helmholtz's Theory of...Hearing qin550 https://padlet.com/qin550/eixrm2m0f0cus5br/wish/2494108414 This artifact is a model at the University of Toronto that illustrates von Helmholtz's Resonance theory of hearing. Read ahead to learn more!

Hermann von Helmholtz (1821-1894) was a German Physicist who contributed to the scientific research in many fields in his time. At the time Helmholtz began his work, the theory of tonotopic organization had already been in circulation for over a century. However, the Organ of Corti had not previously been established yet, along with its constituents, so it was unclear where in the ear the differential interpretation of sounds stemmed from. However, with the details on the Organ of Corti recently discovered only a decade prior (previous entry), Helmholtz was able to develop his Resonance Theory of Hearing in 1863.

Helmholtz's Theory of Hearing attributes tonotopic organization of hearing to within the Organ of Corti, that different areas along the basilar membrane resonate with different tones with varying frequencies which are interpreted by the brain via nerve transduction.

Helmholtz's work is important as it connects sounds with different resonances with the basilar membrane in the Organ of Corti, which we now know is correct and was used then as a foundation for many advancements in research regarding hearing.

Additional Sources:
1.https://utsic.utoronto.ca/wpm_instrument/model-of-hermann-von-helmholtzs-theory-of-hearing/
2.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7939890/pdf/annmedhist147405-0087.pdf]]> 2023-02-24 16:34:09 UTC https://padlet.com/qin550/eixrm2m0f0cus5br/wish/2494108414 1928 - Theory->Mechanistic Discoveries qin550 https://padlet.com/qin550/eixrm2m0f0cus5br/wish/2494118487 My artifact is an image of younger Georg von Békésy (1899-1972), a Hungarian Physicist who dedicated much of his life to exploring the mechanistic studies of hearing. He began to work for the Hungarian Post Office in 1926 where he studied the physics of long distance telephone transmission.

In 1928, after working for the post office for two years, examining the best design for a telephone earphone, Békésy devoted himself to study, mechanistically, how the organs of the inner ear converts different vibrations into neural impulses. More simply put: he explored the mechanisms and physical manifestations of the many previously proposed theories of hearing such as Helmholtz. He did this by non-abrasively dissecting the cochlea and examining the physical movement of the basilar membrane. He produced his first paper detailing his initial findings on the patterns of movement in the inner ear in 1928.

This set the stage for his future findings in the field of mechanistic hearing research that would eventually land him the Nobel Prize.

Additional Sources:
1.https://www6.pbrc.hawaii.edu/archive/bekesy/von_bekesy.html
2.https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/1961/bekesy/biographical/

]]> 2023-02-24 16:43:41 UTC https://padlet.com/qin550/eixrm2m0f0cus5br/wish/2494118487 1947 - von Békésy's Mechanical Model qin550 https://padlet.com/qin550/eixrm2m0f0cus5br/wish/2494411706 My artifact is an image of Békésy's Mechanical model of the inner ear that he developed in 1947.

After he worked at the Post Office until 1946, he worked in Sweden for one short year before moving to America in 1947 where he began work at Harvard University and developed a mechanical model of the inner ear. This "inner ear" would be supplied with a nerve supply, some pictures shown with his own arm, and a vibrator with varying frequencies to stimulate the model.

This development not only accurately depicted the mechanism of how the inner ear physically functioned, but provided a basis that served as a representative and extremely useful physical tool that aided in future developments.

Additional Sources

https://www6.pbrc.hawaii.edu/archive/bekesy/mech_mod.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4337668/
https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/1961/bekesy/biographical/

]]> 2023-02-24 22:27:41 UTC https://padlet.com/qin550/eixrm2m0f0cus5br/wish/2494411706 1950 - Electroanatomy in the Cochlea qin550 https://padlet.com/qin550/eixrm2m0f0cus5br/wish/2494421862 At this point in 1950, although it was largely established that there was anatomical/mechanical movement and electrical stimulation along the nerve, it was unclear how the two worked together within the confines of the inner ear.

von Békésy then studies how to place the two together. In his paper titled, "The Coarse Pattern of the Electrical Resistance in the Cochlea of the Guinea Pig", he shows that either ends of cochlea near the oval and round window consist of two components of the cochlea that worked together to transmit electrical signals depending on the distance from either window. Although my artifact is not directly from Békésy's direct paper, it displays the pattern with a Guinea Pig Cochlea.

This artifact largely contributed to the electroanatomical developments in the scientific understanding of the cochlea's mechanisms of transmitting electrical signals.

Additional Sources:
1.https://asa.scitation.org/doi/10.1121/1.1906721
2.https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Histology-of-the-guinea-pig-cochlea-The-midmodiolar-section-of-a-guinea-pig-cochlea_fig1_326729473

]]> 2023-02-24 22:53:37 UTC https://padlet.com/qin550/eixrm2m0f0cus5br/wish/2494421862 1961 - NOBEL PRIZE qin550 https://padlet.com/qin550/eixrm2m0f0cus5br/wish/2494442968 Finally, in 1961 von Békésy was awarded the Nobel Prize.

After studying the mechanisms between the two windows, the cochlea, and the inner ear fluid, von Békésy discovered and published his traveling wave framework which showed how the Cochlea functioned mechanistically and electrically within mammals.

Specifically, he discovered that different vibration frequencies were transmitted through the window with motion of fluid within the cochlea and would cause wave-like motion along the basilar membrane. Additionally, he discovered that the location of the maximal amplitude of the wave depended on the frequency of the sound.

He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1961 for these functional discoveries that clearly and correctly described the function of the cochlea and how it works to transmit signals within the inner ear. This discovery was critical for hearing research and disorder/condition treatment.

Additional Sources:
1.https://psychology.fas.harvard.edu/people/georg-von-b%C3%A9k%C3%A9sy#:~:text=von%20B%C3%A9k%C3%A9sy%20discovered%20that%20sound,fundamental%20frequency%20of%20the%20vibration.
2.https://acousticstoday.org/7302-2/#:~:text=Von%20B%C3%A9k%C3%A9sy%20was%20the%20first,hearing%20and%20its%20many%20disorders.

]]> 2023-02-24 23:55:40 UTC https://padlet.com/qin550/eixrm2m0f0cus5br/wish/2494442968 Georg von Békésy qin550 https://padlet.com/qin550/eixrm2m0f0cus5br/wish/2494445772 Georg von Békésy (1899-1972) was born in Hungary as the oldest of 3 children. He went to college and obtained a degree in Chemistry, following with a in PhD in Physics from the University of Budapest, his hometown. He formally began his studies in examining the ear in 1928 after his exposure to working as a researcher for an earphone company, dedicating himself to understand the mechanisms of sound transmission.

Largely impactful in his career was his development of a surgical method that allowed him to dissect and examine the internal cochlea without harming its functionality. This allowed him to explore the process in great detail, and even construct his own accurate model in America in 1947 that would display the process of cochlea function (previously mentioned in Historical artifact 8), eventually leading to his traveling wave theory. He finally explained the holistic function and mechanisms of the cochlea, landing him the Nobel Prize in 1961.

After his prize, he worked for a few more years and retired far away from his place of work. He preferred solitude, never marrying once and only ever having 1 lab assistant.

Additional Sources:
1.https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/1961/bekesy/biographical/
2.https://acousticstoday.org/7302-2/#:~:text=Von%20B%C3%A9k%C3%A9sy%20was%20the%20first,hearing%20and%20its%20many%20disorders.
3.https://psychology.fas.harvard.edu/people/georg-von-b%C3%A9k%C3%A9sy

]]> 2023-02-25 00:03:33 UTC https://padlet.com/qin550/eixrm2m0f0cus5br/wish/2494445772 New in 2022: Fully Implanted Cochlear Implant qin550 https://padlet.com/qin550/eixrm2m0f0cus5br/wish/2494520786 As of June last year, the FDA approved the first clinical trial for a fully implanted cochlear implant with no visible external components.

While cochlear implants have been around since the 1960s, they have always consisted of both an internal and an external component. Typically, the sound processor behind the ear is external and transmits signals through the skin to a receiver, stimulating an electrode array in the cochlea. However, with the new Acclaim FDA approved to begin with clinical trials, it is a possibility to develop fully internal cochlear implants. Instead of an external sound processor, this new device will use the ear's shape to collect sound into an internal transmitter to send electrical signals to the cochlea.

This artifact is important because scientists believe that if fully invisible, more people who need hearing help would be willing to use cochlear implants. There is much judgment based on physical attributes and many people are hesitant to get a cochlear implant for appearance reasons. Since hearing loss is rather common, with age and loud music being common risk factors, many may be more willing to get the medical help they need if the cochlear implant is invisible to others.

This artifact is relevant in von Békésy's work of cochlear function because cochlear implants were designed based on our understanding of the cochlea, as its technology uses the functions of the cochlear to successfully produce auditory nerve stimulation. If we did not know the mechanistic and electrical functions of the cochlea, we would not be able to design a functional cochlear implant for those who have impaired hearing.

Additional Sources:
1.https://www.medicaldevice-network.com/news/envoy-fda-ide-acclaim-cochlear-implant-trial/]]> 2023-02-25 03:27:58 UTC https://padlet.com/qin550/eixrm2m0f0cus5br/wish/2494520786