Britannica Sources used in this answer

Which part of the cochlea responds most strongly to high tones?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Meissner's corpuscle; mechanoreception — Mechanoreception In human skin, specialized nerve endings known as Meissner's corpuscles (or tactile corpuscles) are sensitive to touch. They are one of several different types of mechanoreceptors found in human skin.

Within the cochlea, high-frequency sounds cause the basal end of the basilar membrane—the area located near the oval window—to vibrate most strongly.1

According to the "place theory" of hearing, the basilar membrane varies in width, mass, and stiffness along its length. Because of these physical properties, different regions of the membrane are tuned to respond to specific frequencies. High-frequency vibrations travel a shorter distance along the membrane, reaching their maximum amplitude at the basal end, while low-frequency sounds cause the apical end (the tip of the cochlea) to vibrate. When a specific region of the membrane vibrates vigorously, it stimulates the hair cells in that area of the organ of Corti, which then transmit nerve impulses to the brain to signal the pitch of the tone.1