The Organ of Corti

Situated in the spiral-shaped cochlea of the inner ear is the organ of Corti. Only one inch long if uncoiled, it bears about twenty-five thousand sound receptor cells with hairlike projections arranged in rows on the basilar membrane. The tips of the receptors are fixed in a gelatinous tectorial membrane. As the basilar membrane vibrates, the hairs press against the tectorial membrane and are stimulated. The membrane vibrates because the fluid waves created in the cochlea, initiate a traveling wave within it. Receptor cells in the membrane become stimulated at and around points of maximum amplitude that are determined by the sound frequency. The greater the amplitude of the wave, the louder the noise that is heard. Impulses are then generated in some of the thirty thousand nerve fibers which lead to the auditory cortex of the brain.

Function of Cochlea Animation

The Auditory portion of inner ear is called Cochlea,organ of corti is the core component of cochlea which is the sensory organ of hearing, The structure of Cochlea consist of Scala vestibuli (containing perilymp),Scala tympani(containing perilymph),Scala media(containing endolymph),Helicotrema,Reissner's membrane,Basilar membrane ,organ of corti and hair cells,

• Scala vestibulin lies superior to the cochlear duct
• Scala tympani lies inferior to the scala media and terminates at the round window
• Scala media is a membranous duct containing the organ of corti
• Helicotrema is the location where scala tympani and scala vestiduli merge
• Reissner's membrane separates the scala vestibuli from scala media
• Basilar membrane separates the scala media from the scala tympani and determines the mechanical wave propagation properties of the cochlear partion
• Organ of coti is the cellular layer on the basilar membrane,powered by te potential differnce the perilymph and the endolymph
• Hair cells are the sensory cells in the organ of corti

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Function

When the cochlea uncoils it will be continuous tube divided into 3 separate compartments the Scala media ,Scala tympani ,Scala vestibulin,sound waves are transmitted in scala vestibulin and reach the organ of corti on the Basilar membrane, where stimulate hair like receptor whose tips are fixed in Tectorial membrane