The basilar membrane is a structure in the inner ear that plays a crucial role in the perception of pitch. It is responsible for transmitting sound vibrations to the auditory nerve.
The auditory nerve carries electrical signals from the cochlea (which houses the basilar membrane) to the brain, enabling us to process and interpret sound.
Tonotopic Organization: Tonotopic organization refers to how sounds of different frequencies are processed by specific regions or 'maps' within our auditory system.
Place theory suggests that pitch perception is determined by which specific place along the basilar membrane vibrates most in response to a particular sound frequency.