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Which part of the cochlea responds most strongly to low tones?
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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, the basilar membrane is responsible for analyzing sound frequencies. Low-frequency tones cause the apical end of the membrane—located at the tip of the cochlea—to vibrate most strongly.12
In contrast, high-frequency sounds cause the basal end of the membrane, located near the oval window, to vibrate. This spatial arrangement, where different regions of the basilar membrane respond to specific frequencies, is a key component of the place theory of hearing.123