Auditory electrophysiology experiments will be conducted to influence the oral cavity has in the anuran (frogs and toads) auditory system. To do this, sound stimuli will be generated by computer and delivered to the frogs (Rana pipiens) tympanic membrane (frogs ear), via a closed system. Prior to the experiment, surgery will be performed to expose the VIIIth cranial nerve using a ventral approach. Using metal filled microelectrodes, extracellular records of the VIIIth nerve fibers response to the sound stimuli will be collected and analyzed using wavelets. By plugging and unplugging the Eustachian tube while recording, it should be possible to investigate the frequency, volume, and directionality characteristics of the nerve fibers. This work will expand upon previous experiments so that more precise details of the fibers characteristics can be documented and modeled using neural networks. The documentation of the precise response variation among the fibers will be of interest to researchers in this field, because it can provide evidence of the peripheral origin of the nerve fibers and possibly the methods of signal transduction by the auditory hair cells. By studying the auditory system of anurans knowledge of their methods of reproduction can be learned, thus aiding in their survival. In addition, insight into the workings of the human auditory system will be gained, by simulating our findings on a Keates simulator.
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