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The apex of the basilar membrane is wide and flexible. What is the shape of the basilar membrane?

1) Cone-shaped
2) Spiral-shaped
3) Rectangular-shaped
4) Circular-shaped

User Suzane
by
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1 Answer

2 votes

Final answer:

The shape of the basilar membrane is spiral-shaped.

Step-by-step explanation:

The shape of the basilar membrane is spiral-shaped. It is thinner, floppier, and broader towards the apex or center of the cochlea, where it flexes back and forth in a wave-like fashion. Different regions of the basilar membrane vibrate according to the frequency of the sound wave, allowing the fluid-filled cochlea to detect different wave frequencies at different regions of the membrane.

User Jeremy Gallant
by
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