What is the cochlea and its function?

The cochlea is a hollow, spiral-shaped bone found in the inner ear that plays a key role in the sense of hearing and participates in the process of auditory transduction. Sound waves are transduced into electrical impulses that the brain can interpret as individual frequencies of sound.

What is the function of the cochlear duct?

The organ of hearing and balance The cochlear duct (organ of hearing) communicates with the saccule (organ of balance) via the ductus reuniens. The utricle and saccule communicate with each other via the utriculosaccular duct.

Is the cochlea responsible for hearing?

1) The cochlea is responsible for hearing, 2) the semicircular canals have function associated with balance, and 3) the vestibule which connects the two and contains two more balance and equilibrium related structures, the saccule and utricle.

Where is cochlea located what is its function?

Cochlea is the auditory organ present in the inner ear. Auditory receptors are present in the cochlea. It converts the auditory signals to neural impulses, which are carried by the afferent nerves fibres and auditory nerves to the brain, where it is integrated and we hear the sound.

Does cochlea amplify sound?

The cochlear amplifier is essentially a positive feedback loop within the cochlea that amplifies the traveling wave. Thus, vibrations within the organ of Corti are sensed and then force is generated in synchrony to increase the vibrations.

Does cochlea help with balance?

How does the ear affect balance? The inner ear is composed of two parts: the cochlea for hearing and the vestibular system for balance. The vestibular system is made up of a network of looped tubes, three in each ear, called the semicircular canals.

What part of the ear helps collect sound?

Sound waves enter the outer ear and travel through a narrow passageway called the ear canal, which leads to the eardrum. The eardrum vibrates from the incoming sound waves and sends these vibrations to three tiny bones in the middle ear. These bones are called the malleus, incus, and stapes.

Is the cochlea filled with fluid?

The stapes pushes in and out against a structure called the oval window. This action is passed onto the cochlea, a fluid-filled snail-like structure that contains the organ of Corti, the organ for hearing.

How is loudness detected in the cochlea?

High-pitched sounds are detected by cells with shorter hair bundles, located closest to where sound enters the ear; lower-pitched sounds are detected by cells with taller hair bundles located further in, and that pattern progresses through the several thousand hair cells that are essential for hearing.

What happens if the cochlea is damaged?

It is the main organ of hearing and is part of your inner ear. Cochlear Damage means that all or part of your inner ear has been hurt. Damage to the cochlea typically causes permanent hearing loss. This is called sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL).

How do vibrations reach the cochlea?

The bones in the middle ear amplify, or increase, the sound vibrations and send them to the cochlea, a snail-shaped structure filled with fluid, in the inner ear. An elastic partition runs from the beginning to the end of the cochlea, splitting it into an upper and lower part.