What is the role of the organ of Corti in hearing?

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What is the role of the organ of Corti in hearing?

The organ of Corti is the site where sound energy becomes a neural signal. When a sound causes the basilar membrane to vibrate inside the cochlea, the hair cells of the organ of Corti bend as their stereocilia move. This mechanical bending opens ion channels, letting potassium and calcium ions flow in and depolarize the hair cells. That electrical change triggers the release of neurotransmitters onto the afferent fibers of the auditory nerve, sending electrical impulses to the brain where the sound is interpreted. Inner hair cells are the primary listeners that convey the sound information, while outer hair cells help amplify and sharpen the response. Other options describe different parts or functions not carried out by the organ of Corti. Regulation of ear pressure involves the Eustachian tube and middle-ear mechanisms, not the sensory organ in the cochlea. Earwax production happens in the external ear canal, by ceruminous glands. The auditory nerve is a separate structure that carries signals from the hair cells to the brain, not housed within the organ of Corti itself.

The organ of Corti is the site where sound energy becomes a neural signal. When a sound causes the basilar membrane to vibrate inside the cochlea, the hair cells of the organ of Corti bend as their stereocilia move. This mechanical bending opens ion channels, letting potassium and calcium ions flow in and depolarize the hair cells. That electrical change triggers the release of neurotransmitters onto the afferent fibers of the auditory nerve, sending electrical impulses to the brain where the sound is interpreted. Inner hair cells are the primary listeners that convey the sound information, while outer hair cells help amplify and sharpen the response.

Other options describe different parts or functions not carried out by the organ of Corti. Regulation of ear pressure involves the Eustachian tube and middle-ear mechanisms, not the sensory organ in the cochlea. Earwax production happens in the external ear canal, by ceruminous glands. The auditory nerve is a separate structure that carries signals from the hair cells to the brain, not housed within the organ of Corti itself.

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