The basilar membrane is an important component of the inner ear and is located inside the cochlea, which is moved by sound waves that fall on the ear. This delicate structure is critical for our sense of hearing.

How is the basilar membrane important for hearing?

The basilar membrane is the main mechanical element of the inner ear. It possesses graded mass and stiffness properties over its length, and its vibration patterns have the effect of separating incoming sound into its component frequencies that activate different cochlear regions.

What does the basilar membrane and hair cells do?

Resting on the basilar membrane is the organ of Corti, which contains the hair cells that give rise to nerve signals in response to sound vibrations.

What is the basilar membrane in psychology?

a fibrous membrane within the cochlea that supports the organ of Corti. In response to sound, the basilar membrane vibrates; this leads to stimulation of the hair cellsthe auditory receptors within the organ of Corti. This fundamental aspect of mammalian hearing was discovered by Georg von Bksy . …

What does the basilar membrane detect?

The basilar membrane acts as a spectral analyzer that translates vibration frequencies within the cochlear fluid pressure waves into positions of maximal displacement along its length.

Is the basilar membrane in the scala media?

The basilar membrane is a stiff structural element within the cochlea of the inner ear which separates two liquid-filled tubes that run along the coil of the cochlea, the scala media and the scala tympani. … Basilar membrane.

Basilar membrane.
Latin membrana basilaris ductus cochlearis
MeSH D001489
Anatomical terminology

How does the basilar membrane respond to pitch?

The entire motion that occurs on the basilar membrane in response to a sound stimulus is called a traveling wave. Each point moves up and down sinusoidally; different points move up and down slightly delayed (out of phase) with respect to one another, yielding the traveling wave.

How does the basilar membrane respond to a sound wave?

When sound waves produce fluid waves inside the cochlea, the basilar membrane flexes, bending the stereocilia that attach to the tectorial membrane.

What is the major role of the basilar membrane quizlet?

What is the major role of the basilar membrane? The basilar membrane supports the spiral organ, and vibrations are transmitted through the basilar membrane to the hair cells of the spiral organ.

What kind of stimulus causes the basilar membrane close to the base or oval window of the cochlea to vibrate?

Sound waves Sound waves cause the oval and round windows at the base of the cochlea to move in opposite directions (See Figure 12.2). This causes the basilar membrane to be displaced and starts a traveling wave that sweeps from the base toward the apex of the cochlea (See Figure 12.7).

What is the difference between the basilar membrane and the tectorial membrane?

The key difference between basilar and tectorial membrane is that basilar membrane is the membrane that forms the floor of the cochlear duct, on which the cochlear hair cells lie embedded, while tectorial membrane is the fibrous sheet overlying the apical surface of the cochlear hair cells.

What is the basilar membrane lined with?

The surface of the basilar membrane is lined with: hair cells.

What is the function of the vestibular membrane?

It primarily functions as a diffusion barrier, allowing nutrients to travel from the perilymph to the endolymph of the membranous labyrinth. Histologically, the membrane is composed of two layers of flattened epithelium, separated by a basal lamina.

What is the basilar membrane quizlet?

membrane that serves as the floor of the organ of Corti. It has a stiffness gradient. Basal end is narrow and stiff, the apical end is wider and flaccid.

What kind of receptor are the hair cells on the basilar membrane?

auditory receptor cells As the stapes presses into the oval window, the fluid inside the cochlea begins to move, which in turn stimulates hair cells, which are auditory receptor cells of the inner ear embedded in the basilar membrane.

What does the basilar membrane do?

the basilar membrane is found in the cochlea; it forms the base of the organ of Corti, which contains sensory receptors for hearing. Movement of the basilar membrane in response to sound waves causes the depolarization of hair cells in the organ of Corti.

How does the basilar membrane discriminate among different sound frequencies?

Different frequency components of the acoustic stimulus produce maximum displacement at specific sites along the basilar membrane; high frequencies in the base while lower frequencies at progressively more apical locations.

What does damage to the basilar membrane cause?

html. Hair cells are sensory receptor cells for hearing and are the structures most easily damaged by sound. … This creates a differential motion between the basilar and tectorial membranes, causing the hair cell stereocilia to bend.

What fluid is in scala tympani?

Scala tympani and scala vestibuli contain perilymph, which is high in Na+ and low in K+, similar to other extracellular fluids. Scala media contains endolymph, a specialized fluid with a low concentration of Na+ and a high concentration of K+ (about 160 mM).

Are hair cells on the basilar membrane?

The auditory receptor cells, called hair cells, lie embedded within the basilar membrane. This membrane divides the spiraled cochlea into upper and lower chambers. Movement of the fluid within the cochlea causes stimulation of the hair cells.

What structures in the ear line the basilar membrane?

Together, the basilar membrane, the hair cells/cilia, and the tectorial membrane make a structure called the Organ of Corti, and this is all surrounded by endolymph (the fluid found deep within the ear).

Does basilar membrane send signals to cochlea?

Once in the cochlea, the energy causes the basilar membrane to flex, thereby bending the stereocilia on receptor hair cells. This activates the receptors, which send their auditory neural signals to the brain.

Where is the basilar membrane most sensitive to the vibrations of low frequency sound waves quizlet?

Conductive deafness is to ….. as nerve deafness is to…. To what lobe of the cerebral cortex is auditory information sent? Where is the basal membrane most sensitive to the vibrations of low-frequency sound waves? at the apex, farthest from the oval window.

What does a hair cell do when the portion of the basilar membrane to which it is attached vibrates?

Transduction of mechanical vibrations. The hair cells located in the organ of Corti transduce mechanical sound vibrations into nerve impulses. They are stimulated when the basilar membrane, on which the organ of Corti rests, vibrates.

How does the basilar membrane allows us to differentiate sounds of different pitch?

Explain how the basilar membrane allows us to differentiate sounds of different pitch. Through the movement of the inner vs. … The endolymph flows past the ampullary cupula, pushing it in opposite direction of body movement and causing hair cells to bend and depolarize.

What is the relationship between the basilar membrane and Tonotopic organization?

What is the relationship between the basilar membrane and tonotopic organization? the basilar membrane is organized tonotopically – meaning each segment has a frequency of greatest sensitivity. essentially the 4 main tonotopic areas move from closest to the oval window (high frequency) to farthest away (low frequency).

What is the frequency of vibration of the basilar membrane?

The stimulus frequency evoking a maximal response at the basilar membrane varied from 140 to 496 Hz, with an average of 253 12 Hz (Fig. 1E), whereas the average best frequency at the Hensen cells was 199 9 Hz (range: 140350 Hz).

What is the semicircular canals responsible for?

Your semicircular canals are three tiny, fluid-filled tubes in your inner ear that help you keep your balance. When your head moves around, the liquid inside the semicircular canals sloshes around and moves the tiny hairs that line each canal.

What stimuli does the vestibular apparatus detect?

The vestibular receptors lie in the inner ear next to the auditory cochlea. They detect rotational motion (head turns), linear motion (translations), and tilts of the head relative to gravity and transduce these motions into neural signals that can be sent to the brain.

What is the role of the Pharyngotympanic tube quizlet?

Pharyngotympanic (auditory) tube; It’s normally flattened, but swallowing & yawning allow it to open to equalize pressure in the middle ear cavity w/ external air pressure.