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Related Concept Videos

The Cochlea01:13

The Cochlea

The cochlea is a coiled structure in the inner ear that contains hair cells—the sensory receptors of the auditory system. Sound waves are transmitted to the cochlea by small bones attached to the eardrum called the ossicles, which vibrate the oval window that leads to the inner ear. This causes fluid in the chambers of the cochlea to move, vibrating the basilar membrane.
Anatomy of the Ear01:16

Anatomy of the Ear

Auditory sensation, commonly called hearing, involves the transformation of sonic waves into neural impulses facilitated by the structures of the auditory organ. The prominent, flesh-like structure on the side of the head, called the auricle, directs sound waves towards the auditory canal. The auricle is often mislabeled as the pinna, a term more aligned with mobile structures like a feline's external ear. The auditory canal penetrates the cranium via the external auditory meatus of the...
Auditory Pathway01:15

Auditory Pathway

Auditory pathways constitute the complex neural circuits responsible for transmitting and interpreting auditory information from the peripheral auditory system to the brain. Sound waves are initially captured by the outer ear, funneled through the ear canal, and reach the tympanic membrane (eardrum). These vibrations are transmitted via the middle ear's ossicles to the inner ear's cochlea.
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking the...
Hearing01:31

Hearing

When we hear a sound, our nervous system is detecting sound waves—pressure waves of mechanical energy traveling through a medium. The frequency of the wave is perceived as pitch, while the amplitude is perceived as loudness.
Hair Cells01:22

Hair Cells

Hair cells are the sensory receptors of the auditory system—they transduce mechanical sound waves into electrical energy that the nervous system can understand. Hair cells are located in the organ of Corti within the cochlea of the inner ear, between the basilar and tectorial membranes. The actual sensory receptors are called inner hair cells. The outer hair cells serve other functions, such as sound amplification in the cochlea, and are not discussed in detail here.
Auditory Perception01:17

Auditory Perception

The auditory system is essential for sound perception, utilizing various critical structures. When sound waves enter the outer ear, they travel through the ear canal and cause the eardrum to vibrate. These vibrations are then transmitted to the middle ear, where three tiny bones – the malleus, incus, and stapes – amplify the sound. This amplification is crucial, as it ensures that the sound vibrations are strong enough to be conveyed to the inner ear. These vibrations then reach the cochlea, a...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 23, 2026

A Surgical Procedure for the Administration of Drugs to the Inner Ear in a Non-Human Primate Common Marmoset (Callithrix jacchus)
06:55

A Surgical Procedure for the Administration of Drugs to the Inner Ear in a Non-Human Primate Common Marmoset (Callithrix jacchus)

Published on: February 27, 2018

Cochlear labyrinth volume and hearing abilities in primates.

E Christopher Kirk1, Ashley D Gosselin-Ildari

  • 1Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA. eckirk@mail.utexas.edu

Anatomical Record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007)
|May 23, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Primate cochlear volume scales with body mass, impacting hearing frequency ranges. This study suggests fossil petrosals could estimate hearing in extinct species.

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Morphological and Functional Evaluation of Ribbon Synapses at Specific Frequency Regions of the Mouse Cochlea

Published on: May 10, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Paleoanthropology
  • Comparative Anatomy
  • Bioacoustics

Background:

  • The primate cochlea, crucial for sound detection, resides within the petrous temporal bone.
  • Understanding interspecific variation in cochlear size is vital for functional insights into hearing.
  • Previous studies on mammalian hearing limits lacked control for body mass and phylogeny.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify primate cochlear labyrinth volume using computed tomography.
  • To investigate the relationship between cochlear size, body mass, and hearing frequency limits.
  • To explore the potential of fossil petrosals for estimating hearing in extinct primates.

Main Methods:

  • High-resolution computed tomography (CT) scans were used to measure cochlear labyrinth volume in 33 primate species.
  • Allometric analysis was performed to assess the relationship between cochlear volume and body mass.
  • Correlation analysis was conducted between cochlear volume and high-frequency hearing limits in 10 primate taxa with available audiograms.

Main Results:

  • Primate cochlear labyrinth volume exhibits strong negative allometry with respect to body mass.
  • Cochlear volume scaling in primates mirrors that of basilar membrane length in mammals.
  • A significant negative correlation was found between cochlear labyrinth volume and the high-frequency limit of hearing, independent of body mass and phylogeny.

Conclusions:

  • Cochlear size is functionally linked to the range of audible frequencies in primates.
  • These findings suggest that hearing parameters of extinct primates may be estimated from fossil petrosals.
  • This research provides a foundation for future studies on primate auditory evolution and paleoacoustics.