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.

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Etymology

Origin of basilar membrane

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

Once in the cochlea, the energy causes the basilar membrane to flex, thereby bending the stereocilia on receptor hair cells.

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

The organs of Corti lie on top of the basilar membrane, which is the side of the cochlear duct located between the organs of Corti and the scala tympani.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

Physiologically, one or more basilar membrane fibres are excited by both, and this fact gives the positive feeling of relationship or consonance.

From The Psychology of Beauty by Howes, Ethel Dench Puffer