A scientist is recording the activity of hair cells in the ears of a cat as he presents sounds of varying pitches.What will happen to hair cells as the pitch gets higher?
A) The ones nearer to the oval window will be stimulated
B) They will be stimulated at a slower rate.
C) The ones nearer the eardrum will fire be stimulated.
D) They will transmit to the bones of the ear more quickly.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

As the pitch gets higher, the wavelength of the sound wave decreases and the sound waves vibrate the oval window, which is closer to the base of the cochlea where the hair cells sensitive to high-frequency sounds are located. Therefore, the hair cells nearer to the oval window will be stimulated.

A Scientist Is Recording the Activity of Hair Cells in the Ears