title: A study of the vibration of the basilar membrane in human temporal bone preparations by the use of the Mössbauer effect.
abstract: Using the Mössbauer technique, we have studied the vibration of the human basilar membrane and malleus head in the sound frequency range 0.2--9.0 kHz and at a sound pressure of 100 dB at the tympanic membrane. The displacement frequency response curves for the basilar membrane and the malleus head have similar shapes, with a maximum at about 1 kHz. Below and above 1 kHz the curves have a slope of about 10 dB/octave and--100 dB/octave, respectively. In addition, the basilar membrane has a maximum displacement at a frequency dependent distance from the stapes. A simple hydrodynamic model for the cochlea is used to interpret the experimental data. A possible mechanism for the frequency resolution of sound by the ear and noise-induced hearing loss is discussed.
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000295:instrumentation; D001489:Basilar Membrane / Q000502:physiology*; D003051:Cochlea / Q000502:physiology; D007758:Ear, Inner / Q000502:physiology*; D006309:Hearing / Q000502:physiology*; D006317:Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008307:Malleus / Q000502:physiology; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D008954:Models, Biological; D011312:Pressure; D013016:Sound; D013051:Spectrometry, Gamma / Q000295:instrumentation; D014732:Vibration