Final answer:
The basilar membrane in the cochlea is vital for auditory perception as it supports hair cells that convert sound-induced mechanical movements into neural signals via stereocilia bending, leading to nerve impulses that travel through the auditory nerve.
Step-by-step explanation:
The basilar membrane within the cochlea of the ear has a crucial role in the process of hearing. This membrane moves in response to the fluid waves that travel through the scala vestibuli and scala tympani. Anchored to the basilar membrane are hair cells that form part of the organ of Corti.
These hair cells have stereocilia on their surfaces, which are delicate structures extending into the overlying tectorial membrane. Movements caused by sound frequencies stimulate these hair cells, which in turn, bend the stereocilia. This action opens ion channels, leading to the depolarization of hair cell membranes and the initiation of nerve impulses that are subsequently transmitted along the auditory nerve, thereby enabling the perception of sound.