The mammalian Corti organ and the reptilian basilar papilla are structures with a curved surface, which vibrate in a fluid medium. This paper is concerned with the role played by the geometric shape of these organs in cochlear hydrodynamics. In association with vibrating structures such as these organs, it can be expected that a stationary current will be initiated due to a nonlinear phenomenon in the boundary layer known as secondary flow. This phenomenon may explain the source of the mechanical nonlinearity in the cochlea.
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