On the Microphonic Effect of the Crista

Abstract

The microphonics of the cochlea and of the crista are important for three reasons. (1) They demonstrate that by the stimulation with sound the various parts of the labyrinth vibrate. (2) By the parallelism between the voltage of the microphonics and the excitability of the organ of Corti and the crista. (3) They can give a better insight into the problem of transformation of the mechanical energy into electric energy by the inner ear. With regard to (3), there is a discussion of the hair hypothesis of de Vries. Kuiper demonstrated that this hypothesis is not right, as the facts cannot be explained by the pulling at the hairs. But two important facts remain and require explanation: the double frequency of the lateral line organ in the fish and the superposition effect. This phenomenon in the pigeon is discussed. It occurs when a low and a high frequency component are presented together to the ear.