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basilar membrane

basilar membrane

7.4
A thin stiff membrane inside the inner ear that carries sound vibrations to help hearing
  • noun
  • /ˈbæzɪlər ˈmɛmˌbreɪn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : membrana basilar
  • When sound enters the cochlea, it causes the basilar membrane to move, triggering the hair cells to send signals to the brain.
  • basilar membrane motion
  • basilar membrane vibration
  • basilar membrane and the tectorial

Examples

  • While the resulting effect of these two peaks is a wider area of damage along the basilar membrane, there is a reduced overall degree of missing outer hair cells.

    Academic text (1998)
  • Both outer and inner hair cells are thought to be stimulated by movement of the basilar membrane in response to sound.

    Academic text (1998)
  • These cells are sitting on the basilar membrane and the hair bundle is moving back and forth.

  • This is the length along the basilar membrane from the base over here on the right to the apex.

  • The unconditioned group showed a discrete loss of the outer hair cells in a particular area on the basilar membrane, usually around the 14 to 15 mm distance from the round window.

    Academic text (1998)
  • Above 80 dB SPL, the relationship between basilar membrane vibration and sound intensity again becomes linear.

    Academic text (1998)
  • If the oscillatory motion of the outer hair cell is in phase with the acoustic vibration, there will be positive feedback to basilar membrane motion and amplification.

    Academic text (1998)
  • Differences between the responses of the basilar membrane (BM), tectorial membrane (TM), and outer hair cell (OHC).

    Academic text (1998)
  • For the purpose of illustration, assume that the basilar membrane, tectorial membrane, and OHCs are each elastic in the tuned region of the cochlear partition.

    Academic text (1998)
  • As a result, the electromechanical force attenuates the motion of the basilar membrane. Clearly, this mechanism cannot produce cochlear tuning; the OHC acts as a brake.

    Academic text (1998)

Surface Forms

Morphology

basilar + membrane

Both constituents are compositional: 'basilar' means 'pertaining to the base' and 'membrane' is a thin layer, so a B1 learner who knows those words can infer this refers to a membrane located at the base of a structure. The technical anatomical details (cochlea, organ of Corti, specific role in hearing) are domain-specific but do not prevent the core spatial/functional meaning being transparently derived.

Etymology

Basilar membrane comes from basilar meaning 'base' and membrane meaning a thin layer, because it is a thin layer at the base of the inner ear. So it means the thin base layer that vibrates to carry sound and help hearing.