Hearing and the Cochlea

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Description

As sound waves make contact with the ear, they travel through the outer ear into the external auditory canal and then strike the eardrum, causing it to vibrate. The central part of the eardrum is connected to a small bone of the middle ear called the malleus (hammer). As the malleus vibrates, it transmits the sound vibrations to the other two small bones, or ossicles, of the middle ear, the incus and stapes. As the stapes moves, it pushes a structure called the oval window in and out. This action is passed on to the cochlea, which is a fluid-filled snail shell-like structure that contains the receptor organ for hearing. The cochlea contains the spiral organ of Corti, which is the receptor organ for hearing. It consists of tiny hair cells that translate the fluid vibration of sounds from its surrounding ducts into electrical impulses that are carried to the brain by sensory nerves.