DC Potentials and Energy Balance of the Cochlear Partition

Most living tissues are in a state of continuous decomposition and simultaneous regeneration. These processes are usually accompanied by the production of dc potential differences between the various parts of the tissue. Such dc potentials were measured at different points in the cochlea of a lightly anesthetized guinea pig. The existence of these potentials makes it probable that continuous chemical processes are going on in the inner ear. This raises the question whether the electrical energy of the microphonics is obtained from the mechanical energy of the stimulus or from the chemical‐energy pool. For a certain static displacement of the cochlear partition it is shown that, during a certain time interval, the amount of electrical energy consumed in the vestibular channel is greater than the amount of mechanical work done in accomplishing the displacement.