Nonlinear mechanics of the organ of Corti caused by Deiters cells.

Abstract

Though the organ of Corti (OC) has been an object of experimental and theoretical hearing research, open questions remain concerning the processing of acoustic signals by the cochlea where the OC is located. Today there is extensive knowledge about single parts of the organ but a lack of understanding as to how these elements act together. One of the reasons for this is the missing analysis of the mechanics of the OC in three dimensions. In order to fill this gap, we have analyzed a short section (0.06 mm) of the basilar membrane including the OC and evaluated its nonlinear finite element model numerically. The Deiters cells are idealized as thin elastic beams with a comparably low modulus of elasticity of actin. Therefore, they show nonlinear mechanical behavior generating additional frequency components with two-tone stimulation.