What mechanism is activated in the cochlea by outer hair cells?

The mechanism primarily activated in the cochlea by outer hair cells is the amplification of sound. Outer hair cells play a crucial role in the auditory system by responding to sound vibrations and enhancing the motion of the basilar membrane. This amplification increases sensitivity to soft sounds and improves the overall clarity of the auditory signal.

When sound waves enter the cochlea, they cause the fluid within to move, leading to the displacement of the basilar membrane. The outer hair cells are embedded within the tectorial membrane and alter their length in response to this motion. This contraction and elongation amplify the vibrations of the basilar membrane, thereby boosting the sound signals that inner hair cells, which are responsible for transmitting auditory information to the brain, ultimately utilize. This mechanism is essential for the perception of quiet sounds and plays a vital role in the frequency tuning of hearing.

While signal transduction is indeed an important process that occurs when hair cells convert mechanical movements into electrical signals, the specific function of the outer hair cells in this context is focused on amplification. Frequency encoding, on the other hand, primarily relates to how different frequencies of sound are represented by different locations along the basilar membrane and is predominantly the role of inner hair cells, not specifically outer hair cells. Sound distortion