Cochlear Function–An Analysis

Abstract

A large number of experiments conducted since 1967 on live animals have suggested that mechanical processes in the cochlea are more complex than Bekdsy could observe on postmortem preparations. These experiments indicate that the entire sharp frequency analysis in the cochlea is performed by mechanical means. A conceptual model of cochlear micromechanics is presented, which brings together all the relevant experimental results. It shows how the tectorial membrane coupled to the organ of Corti through the stiff hairs of the outer hair cells can contribute to this analysis.