AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Each of our roughly 16, 000 hair cells is dedicated to a narrow frequency range. These cells are ordered along the basilar membrane according to the frequencies they detect. Those that sense low pitches are at one end; those that detect high pitches are at the other.

Detailed explanation-2: -The structures of the cochlea vibrate in response to sound with a particular vibratory pattern. This vibratory pattern (the traveling wave) allows the inner hair cells and their connections to the auditory nerve to send signals to the brainstem and brain about the sound’s vibration and its frequency content.

Detailed explanation-3: -Hair cells-sensory cells sitting on top of the basilar membrane-ride the wave. Hair cells near the wide end of the snail-shaped cochlea detect higher-pitched sounds, such as an infant crying. Those closer to the center detect lower-pitched sounds, such as a large dog barking.

Detailed explanation-4: -In the human ear, how do different hair cells respond to different frequencies of sound? Because the basilar membrane varies in stiffness, it vibrates in certain places in response to certain frequencies.