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1. Glossary

Tectorial membrane

The tectorial membrane is a gelatinous layer into which the cilia of the outer hair cells protrude. The shear movements caused by sound between the basilar membrane and the tectorial membrane are registered by the cilia.

1. Glossary

Outer hair cell

Outer and inner hair cells are sensory cells for acoustic signals in the organ of Corti. At their tips, they have hair-like projections called stereocilia, which are connected to each other and, in the case of the outer hair cells, also to the tectorial membrane. The three rows of outer hair cells filter acoustic signals and act as a cochlear amplifier: without them, our hearing sensitivity would be reduced by about 50 dB.