WordNet
n. a membrane in the cochlea that supports the Organ of Corti
Wikipedia
The basilar membrane within the cochlea of the inner ear is a stiff structural element that separates two liquid-filled tubes that run along the coil of the cochlea, the scala media and the scala tympani (see figure).
Usage examples of "basilar membrane".
One theory of pitch perception suggests that the crux lies in the point at which the sound waves are transmitted from the upper portion of the fluid across the basilar membrane into the lower portion.
The basilar membrane is made up of some 24,000 parallel fibers stretching across its width.
The ear is as sensitive, and even a microscopic shift of the eardrum will be recorded consciously: when the basilar membrane shifts through a distance of less than one hydrogen molecule a tonal sensation results.