What describes the arrangement of frequency along the cochlea from high to low?

The concept of tonotopic organization refers to the spatial arrangement of sound frequencies within the cochlea. In this organization, different frequencies are processed in specific regions along the length of the cochlea. High frequencies are detected at the base, while lower frequencies are processed toward the apex. This systematic arrangement allows the auditory system to efficiently encode and interpret a wide range of sound frequencies.

The tonotopic organization is critical for understanding how the cochlea functions and how auditory information is relayed to the brain. This principle underpins many aspects of auditory research and clinical audiology, particularly in relation to hearing loss, cochlear implants, and auditory processing disorders. The other options, while related to hearing and auditory function, do not specifically describe this frequency arrangement within the cochlea. For example, impedance matching relates to the transfer of sound energy from air to fluid in the inner ear, while sound localization involves determining the direction of sound sources, and basilar membrane tuning refers more broadly to the specific response characteristics of the basilar membrane rather than the overall arrangement of frequencies.