Cochlear microphonic responses of chinchilla to tones from 20 to 110 dB SPL were examined with a fast‐Fourier‐transform algorithm. Distortion of microphonics recorded from the second cochlear turn (CM2) for acoustic input at 0.225 kHz was found to increase rapidly above 50 dB SPL. Like the input–output function for the complete CM2 response, the input–output functions for the harmonics saturated near 80 dB SPL. Changes in temperature of the preparation from 29° to 39 °C had minimal effect on the pattern of the harmonics examined. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that moderate changes in temperature act primarily on metabolism supporting CM generation and not on the transduction processes per se.
Subject Classification: [43]65.40, [43]65.66, [43]65.35.
