basilar membrane

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of basilar membrane¹

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

A soft tissue structure called the basilar membrane, while not present in the fossil itself, was indicated by other parts of the ear to be of a size and thickness consistent with high-frequency hearing.

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Each arch rests on the basilar membrane, and supports rows of cells having minute hair-like processes.

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A sound wave sets your eardrum vibrating, which ultimately causes a spiraling membrane within the inner ear called the basilar membrane to vibrate, too.

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Her words fell upon his ears, setting up vibrations and oscillations in the basilar membranes.

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Periopticon: a complex nerve structure back of the basilar membrane of the eye.

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