Final answer:
Hair-like appendages on auditory receptors in the organ of Corti are stereocilia, which are part of hair cells that convert sound vibrations into nerve impulses.
Step-by-step explanation:
The hair-like appendages that protrude from the ends of the auditory receptors in the organ of Corti are known as stereocilia, which are part of hair cells. These stereocilia are mechanoreceptor structures that transduce mechanical vibrations from sound waves into electrochemical signals. When vibrations in the cochlea cause the basilar membrane to move, this movement causes the stereocilia to bend. As a result, the bending stereocilia open ion channels, leading to the depolarization of the hair cell membrane, initiating a nerve impulse that is interpreted by the brain as sound.