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Cochlea

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cochlea
Cross section of the cochlea
Parts of the inner ear, showing the cochlea
Details
Pronunciation/ˈkɒk.liə/
Part ofInner ear
SystemAuditory system
Identifiers
LatinCochlea
MeSHD003051
NeuroLex IDbirnlex_1190
TAA15.3.03.025
FMA60201
Anatomical terminology

The cochlea is the auditory portion of the inner ear. It is a spiral-shaped cavity in the bony labyrinth, making 2.5 turns around its axis.[1] A core component of the cochlea is the Organ of Corti, the sensory organ of hearing, which is distributed along the partition separating fluid chambers in the coiled tapered tube of the cochlea.

The name is from the Greek κοχλίας kokhlias ("snail, screw"), from κόχλος kokhlos ("spiral shell").[2] This is in reference to its coiled shape: the cochlea is coiled in most mammals, monotremes being the exceptions.

References

[change | change source]
  1. Anne M. Gilroy, Brian R. MacPherson, and Lawrence M. Ross (2008). Atlas of anatomy. Thieme. p. 536. ISBN 9781604061512.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. etymology of "cochlea"