basilar membrane

American  

noun

Anatomy.

1. a supporting membrane, especially the membrane that supports the organ of Corti in the ear and aids in translating sound vibrations into electrical signals.

---

Etymology

Origin of basilar membrane

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

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

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

When the sound waves in the cochlear fluid contact the basilar membrane, it flexes back and forth in a wave-like fashion.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Inside the cochlea, the basilar membrane is a mechanical analyzer that runs the length of the cochlea, curling toward the cochlea’s center.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Therefore, as the frequency of a sound changes, different hair cells are activated all along the basilar membrane.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

With each maximum and minimum different parts of the basilar membrane are affected, and affected a different number of times per second, according to the frequencies of the partials existing in the compound tone.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 2 "Hearing" to "Helmond" by Various