Question

Adjacent regions of the basilar membrane and of the primary auditory cortex appear to respond best to different sound ________; these differences can be displayed as a ________ map.

1) intensities; tonotopic
2) intensities; somatotopic
3) frequencies; retinotopic
4) frequencies; tonotopic
5) timbres; tonotopic

Answer 1

The basilar membrane in the inner ear responds differently to different sound frequencies, with the base responding best to high frequencies and the tip responding best to low frequencies. This is represented as a tonotopic map.

Step-by-step explanation:

The basilar membrane, a part of the inner ear, is sensitive to sounds of different frequencies. Different regions of the basilar membrane respond best to different sound frequencies. For example, the base of the basilar membrane responds best to high frequencies, while the tip of the basilar membrane responds best to low frequencies. This difference in response is represented as a tonotopic map, which shows the organization of different frequencies along the basilar membrane.