Final answer:
The hair cells in the organ of Corti trigger nerve impulses when their associated stereocilia are moved by the tectorial membrane due to sound waves.
Step-by-step explanation:
The movement of hair cells in the organ of Corti against the tectorial membrane can stimulate nerve impulse conduction. These hair cells possess hair-like stereocilia that are arranged in a specific order from tallest to shortest, and they are surrounded by a gel-like substance found on the tectorial membrane. When the pressure waves, caused by sound, move the basilar membrane, it results in the sliding of the tectorial membrane across these stereocilia.
This sliding action bends the stereocilia, creating tension that opens ion channels within the hair cell membrane, resulting in the depolarization of the cell and triggering nerve impulses that travel to the brain via the cochlear nerve. This bending triggers the opening of ion channels in the hair cell membrane, leading to depolarization and the generation of nerve impulses.