Question at position 1 In the context of the auditory system, place theory states thata cluster of nerve cells in the inner ear can fire neural impulses in rapid succession.the vibrations in the ear produced by auditory stimuli travel in one direction—from the tip of the cochlea to the oval window.the perception of a sound's frequency depends on how often the auditory nerve fires.each frequency produces vibrations at a particular spot on the basilar membrane of the inner ear.

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Question at position 1 In the context of the auditory system, place theory states thata cluster of nerve cells in the inner ear can fire neural impulses in rapid succession.the vibrations in the ear produced by auditory stimuli travel in one direction—from the tip of the cochlea to the oval window.the perception of a sound's frequency depends on how often the auditory nerve fires.each frequency produces vibrations at a particular spot on the basilar membrane of the inner ear.

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The question asks about place theory in the auditory system and presents four statements to evaluate. 
Option 1: 'a cluster of nerve cells in the inner ear can fire neural impulses in rapid succession.' This describes a general capability of neurons, not the specific mechanism of place theory. While neural firing can occur rapidly, place theory does not define sound frequency in terms of a rate of firing of a single cluster; that concept is more aligned with frequency coding or temporal theory. Therefore, this option misstates the core idea of place theory.
Option 2: 'the vibrations in the ear produced by auditory stimuli travel in one direction—from the tip of the cochlea to the oval window.' This describes the directional movement of sound-induced vibrations through the ear structures, but it is not an assertion about how pitch is encoded. Place theory concerns where along the basilar membrane the vibration is greatest for a given frequency, not the general direction of vibration transmission. Hence this statement is not the key claim of place theory.
Option 3: 'the perception of a sound's frequency depends on how often the auditory nerve fires.' This is the essence of temporal or frequency theory, which links pitch to the rate of neural firing over time. Place theory, by contrast, emphasizes the location of peak vibration along the basilar membrane. So this option describes a different mechanism and is incorrect with respect to place theory.
Option 4: 'each frequency produces vibrations at a particular spot on the basilar membrane of the inner ear.' This directly captures the central claim of place theory: different frequencies cause peak vibrations at different locations along the basilar membrane, enabling pitch perception by place, i.e., the spatial coding of sound. This is the correct understanding of place theory.
In summary, the incorrect options either describe general neuronal firing patterns (Option 1) or the direction of vibration without addressing where along the basilar membrane the peak occurs (Option 2), or describe temporal rate coding rather than spatial coding (Option 3). The correct statement aligns precisely with the defining principle of place theory (Option 4).

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