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Scala Media
Also called the cochlear duct, this region between the upper and lower chambers of the cochlea contains the organ of Corti.
Scala Tympani
The lower chamber of the cochlea.
Scala Vestibuli
The upper chamber of the cochlea.
Semicircular Canals
Structure in inner ear that is responsible for balance.
Sensorineural Deafness
A condition which is characterized by deafness due to a sensorineural deficit.
Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SNHL)
Hearing loss occurring in the inner ear or the hearing nerve. This hearing loss is usually permanent in nature. Sometimes a hearing aid is recommended, based upon the results of the hearing test.
Sensory Integration
The involuntary process by which the brain assembles a picture of our environment at each moment in time using information from all of our senses. Children with learning disabilities or autism have difficulties with sensory integration.
SNR
Simplified Noise Reduction also known as Single Number Rating. A single number indicating the attenuation a hearing protector might provide.
Sound
Vibrational energy. A pressure disturbance propagated through a medium and displacing molecules from a state of equilibrium. The auditory perception of this disturbance. Something heard by the ears.
Sound Intensity
The magnitude of a sound, measured against a standard reference in units known as decibels (dB). Intensity refers to the amplitude of a sound.
Sound Level Meter
An instrument for the measurement of sound level. It consists of a microphone, a frequency selective amplifier and an indicator. It measures sound level in dB SPL.
Sound Waves
The longitudinal progressive vibrations in an elastic medium by which sounds are transmitted.
Speech Banana
The areas of the audiogram where speech sounds fall, typically in a banana-shaped pattern.
Standard Deviation
A measure of the variability of a set of data points about their mean (average level). The above terms are frequently used in discussions on hearing protection and hearing conservation.
Stapes
The final bone in the series of three small bones, or ossicles, of the middle ear. Sometimes called the stirrup.
Stereocilia
Hairlike extensions jutting from one end of the inner ear�s hair cells into the cochlear fluid.
Stirrup
Where vibration is passed on to the inner ear, one of the smallest bones in the body
Subsonic
Sounds with frequencies below 20 Hz and, therefore, beyond the range of human hearing.
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