A linear and a nonlinear transmission line model of the basilar membrane is described. ... It is shown that a linear model exhibits a frequency modulation in its impulse response that is in accordance with physiological data. The nonlinear model displays a sharpened frequency response for lower sound intensities.
Is the basilar membrane wide?
The basilar membrane is a resonant structure varying systematically in width and stiffness. It is wider (0.42–0.65 mm) and more flaccid at the cochlear apex than at the base (0.08–0.16 mm). When a sound wave is transmitted to the fluid of the inner ear, the basilar membrane is set in motion.
Is the basilar membrane lined with?
The surface of the basilar membrane is lined with: hair cells .
Is the basilar membrane flexible?
Frequency tuning within the inner ear is attributable in part to the geometry of the basilar membrane, which is wider and more flexible at the apical end and narrower and stiffer at the basal end.
What is the shape of the basilar membrane?
The basilar membrane is widest (0.42–0.65 mm) and least stiff at the apex of the cochlea, and narrowest (0.08–0.16 mm) and stiffest at the base (near the round and oval windows). High-frequency sounds localize near the base of the cochlea, while low-frequency sounds localize near the apex.
What causes the basilar membrane to move?
In human hearing, sound waves enter the outer ear and travel through the external auditory canal. The motion of the stapes against the oval window sets up waves in the fluids of the cochlea , causing the basilar membrane to vibrate. ...
Is basilar membrane in cochlea?
the basilar membrane is found in the cochlea ; it forms the base of the organ of Corti, which contains sensory receptors for hearing.
Does the basilar membrane have hair cells?
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.
Does the basilar membrane help with balance?
It consists of the cochlea, the balance mechanism, the vestibular nerve and the auditory nerve. The sounds that we hear fall on our ears like waves, which then pass through the outer and middle ear to finally reach the cochlea. ... When sound waves reach the cochlea, they are transformed into electrical impulses.
Who discovered the basilar membrane?
von Békésy discovered that sound vibrations transmitted to the cochlear fluid by the round window triggered a traveling wave along the length of the basilar membrane, and that because of the tapering shape of the membrane, the point of maxim amplitude varied with the fundamental frequency of the vibration.
How many stereocilia are on the basilar membrane?
There are two types of sensory hair cells that reside on the basilar membrane; a single row of inner hair cells and three rows of outer hair cells. Both inner and outer hair cells contain up to 150 stereocilia protruding from their apical surface and are arranged in rows based on their height.
What does damage to the basilar membrane do?
html. Hair cells are sensory receptor cells for hearing and are the structures most easily damaged by sound. ... Sound waves cause the basilar membrane to vibrate. This creates a differential motion between the basilar and tectorial membranes, causing the hair cell stereocilia to bend.
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 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 cells—the auditory receptors within the organ of Corti.
What is on top of the basilar membrane?
Resting on top of the basilar membrane, and running the length of the cochlear duct within the scala media, is the sensory organ of the cochlea, the organ of Corti (Fig. 5). The organ of Corti contains two types of sensory hair cells, the inner and outer hair cells, as well as a number of supporting cell types.
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 .
