ABSTRACT
The crucial topic of frequency selectivity, the ability of the ear to separate out the frequency components of sounds, is explored further in Chapter 5. The chapter explains how tuning curves can be measured from the basilar membrane in the cochlea, in neurons, and in human participants using psychoacoustic techniques. The role of the outer hair cells is explained, and how their action leads to nonlinearities, such as distortion and suppression. The chapter explains how our sensations are related to physiological processes in the cochlea and at other stages in the auditory system.
