Frequency composition of spontaneous cochlear emissions.

Spontaneous cochlear emissions consist of one or more sinus tones. Oscillations and frequency shifts clearly widen averaged traces. Multiple peaks, if present, are spaced at intervals of 2-3% of the frequency, and increase with frequency. A frequency jump by the same amount was seen in one case. This appears to represent the distance between hair cells, and suggests that individual hair cells play a leading role in these oscillations.