The waves in the fluid that fills the ducts of the cochlea, <I>left,</I> push against the basilar membrane. The hair cells of the organ of Corti on the basilar membrane slide against the overhanging tectorial membrane, <I>right.</I> The hairs bend and so create impulses in the cochlear nerve fibers attached to the hairs. The cochlear nerve transmits the impulses to the brain.
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World Book illustrations by Colin Bidgood</P>
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