Dirk Bruere at Neopax wrote:
> Left and right visual data are procecessed by opposite hemispheres.
> Is the same true of hearing, or is it left-left and right-right?
>
For hearing the process is basically the same. Sensory information
(hearing, seeing, smelling...) is processed by specific neural cells,
called sensory receptors. These neurons connect to the thalamus, and
from that, to the respective sensory areas of the cortex.
The only thing that you have to know is that in both, hearing and
seeing, some sensory information coming from the left side goes to the
same hemisphere (ipsilateral), and some goes to the opposite hemisphere
(contralateral).
For hearing the cells responsible for collecting the auditory
information are the hair cells (or auditory receptor cells). They send
the information through the auditory nerve to the brain stem, where they
activate other neurons, which send the information to the both thalamus
(medial geniculate nuclei). That means, it activates the same thalamic
nuclei (ipsilateral), and the opposite thalamic nuclei (contralateral).
From thalamus the information converges into the respective cerebral
auditory cortex.
Have a look to the this link
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/sound/anerv.html
Regards!
SJM Guzman
Visit my neurosite at
http://www.neurohost.org
