How does the basilar membrane allow us to differentiate sounds of different pitch?
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 is the basilar membrane responsible for?
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.
What does the basilar membrane do quizlet?
The cochlea is a (coiled up snail-shell looking) thing in the ear that contains the basilar membrane(, which contains all the most important hearing stuff.) It has two holes, the Oval Window and the Round Window. (The stapes presses against the oval window, transmitting vibrations into the fluid in the cochlea.
How does the ear differentiate between sounds of different frequencies pitches quizlet?
The tympanic membrane separates the external from the middle ear. The oval and round windows separate the middle from the inner ear. Which structure inside the spiral organ allows us to differentiate sounds of different pitch? The basilar membrane allows us to differentiate sounds of different pitch.
How does the basilar membrane distinguish different frequency vibrations?
The analysis of sound frequencies by the basilar membrane. (A) The fibres of the basilar membrane become progressively wider and more flexible from the base of the cochlea to the apex. As a result, each area of the basilar membrane vibrates preferentially to a particular sound frequency.
How do we hear different pitches of sound?
At birth, each typical ear has about 12,000 sensory cells, called hair cells, which sit on a membrane that vibrates in response to incoming sound. Each frequency of a complex sound maximally vibrates the membrane at one location. Because of this mechanism, we hear different pitches within the sound.
What does the basilar membrane separate?
anatomy of internal ear … osseous spiral lamina and the basilar membrane, which separate the cochlear duct from the scala tympani. 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 cells—the auditory receptors within the organ of Corti.
What does a hair cell do when the portion of the basilar membrane to which it is attached vibrates?
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.
Which structure allows us to perceive different pitches high vs low this is different from volume of sound?
The human ear can detect a wide range of frequencies, from the low rumbles of distant thunder to the high-pitched whine of a mosquito. The sensory cells that detect these sounds are called hair cells, named for the hair-like strands that cluster on their tops.
How does sound get transmitted from the pinna to oval window to hair cells of the organ or Corti?
Also called the hammer, it transmits sound vibrations to the incus, which passes them to the stapes. The stapes pushes in and out against a structure called the oval window. This action is passed onto the cochlea, a fluid-filled snail-like structure that contains the organ of Corti, the organ for hearing.
How do different frequencies affect the basilar membrane?
Because of systematic variations in basilar membrane properties, high-frequency sound stimulates sensory cells near the base of the cochlear spiral, whereas the low sound frequencies that are most important for speech and music perception cause maximal stimulation of hair cells near the apex of the spiral.
How does the cochlea distinguish different frequencies?
The cochlea analyzes sound frequencies (distinguishes pitch) by means of the basilar membrane, which exhibits different degrees of stiffness, or resonance, along its length. The analysis of sound frequencies by the basilar membrane.
Why do we hear different pitches?
The place theory of hearing suggests that we hear different pitches because different areas of the cochlea respond to higher and lower pitches. Conductive hearing loss is caused by physical damage to the ear or eardrum and may be improved by hearing aids or cochlear implants.
What happens when the basilar membrane moves?
The movement of the basilar membrane causes hair cell stereocilia movement. The hair cells are attached to the basilar membrane, and with the moving of the basilar membrane, the tectorial membrane and the hair cells are also moving, with the stereocilia bending with the relative motion of the tectorial membrane.
How does the ear differentiate pitches?
Detecting Pitch High-pitched sounds are detected by cells with shorter hair bundles, located closest to where sound enters the ear; lower-pitched sounds are detected by cells with taller hair bundles located further in, and that pattern progresses through the several thousand hair cells that are essential for hearing.
How sound is processed on the basilar membrane?
When the waves reach the tympanic membrane, they cause the membrane and the attached chain of auditory ossicles to vibrate. The motion of the stapes against the oval window sets up waves in the fluids of the cochlea, causing the basilar membrane to vibrate.
When the basilar membrane moves What happens to the hair cells of the spiral organ?
As the basilar and tectorial membranes move up and down with the traveling wave, the hinge mechanism causes the tectorial membrane to move laterally over the hair cells. This lateral shearing motion bends the cilia atop the hair cells, pulls on the fine tip links, and opens the trap-door channels (See Figure 12.1).
How do we hear different pitches?
Your middle ear has three tiny bones in it, called ossicles. These three bones form a chain from the eardrum to the inner ear. The eardrum moves back and forth when sounds hit it. Different pitches, or how high or low a sound is, make the eardrum move more or less.
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.
How does the basilar membrane converts pressure waves into perceived sound?
(A) The fibres of the basilar membrane become progressively wider and more flexible from the base of the cochlea to the apex. As a result, each area of the basilar membrane vibrates preferentially to a particular sound frequency.
Why does the basilar membrane move?
The basilar membrane moves up and down in response to incoming sound waves, which are converted to traveling waves on the basilar membrane.
How does the basilar membrane respond to pitch?
The place theory of pitch perception suggests that different portions of the basilar membrane are sensitive to sounds of different frequencies. More specifically, the base of the basilar membrane responds best to high frequencies and the tip of the basilar membrane responds best to low frequencies.
How does the basilar membrane move?
The basilar membrane moves up and down in response to incoming sound waves, which are converted to traveling waves on the basilar membrane.
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.
How does the cochlea detect different sound frequencies?
The cochlea analyzes sound frequencies (distinguishes pitch) by means of the basilar membrane, which exhibits different degrees of stiffness, or resonance, along its length. The analysis of sound frequencies by the basilar membrane.
How does the basilar membrane respond to complex auditory signals that are made up of multiple frequency components?
As a consequence of the mechanical properties of the organ of Corti, complex sounds are decomposed into a spectral series of signals distributed along the cochlear partition. At low sound pressure levels the basilar membrane responds most vigorously to low frequencies at its apex and to high frequencies at the base.
Does the basilar membrane vibrate?
The motion of the stapes against the oval window sets up waves in the fluids of the cochlea, causing the basilar membrane to vibrate. This stimulates the sensory cells of the organ of Corti, atop the basilar membrane, to send nerve impulses to the brain.
How does the frequency of sound waves determine the movement of the basilar membrane?
Which of the following explains how the frequency of sound waves determines the movement of the basilar membrane? Higher-frequency waves move the region of the basilar membrane that is close to the base of the cochlea, whereas lower-frequency waves move the region that is near the tip of the cochlea.
What determines the movement of the basilar membrane?
Which of the following explains how the frequency of sound waves determines the movement of the basilar membrane? Higher-frequency waves move the region of the basilar membrane that is close to the base of the cochlea, whereas lower-frequency waves move the region that is near the tip of the cochlea.