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Related Concept Videos

The Cochlea01:13

The Cochlea

52.3K
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.
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Equilibrium and Balance01:15

Equilibrium and Balance

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The inner ear assumes dual functionalities of auditory perception and equilibrium maintenance. The vestibule is the organ responsible for balance. This organ contains mechanoreceptors, specifically hair cells, endowed with stereocilia, which aid in deciphering information regarding the position and motion of our heads. Two intrinsic components, the utricle and saccule, help perceive head position, while the semicircular canals track head movement. Neurological messages initiated in the...
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Auditory Pathway01:15

Auditory Pathway

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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...
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Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location01:21

Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location

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The human brain perceives pitch through two primary mechanisms reflected in place theory and frequency theory. Each mechanism describes how sound waves are interpreted as specific pitches by the brain, offering insights into the intricate processes of auditory perception.
Place theory, or place coding, suggests that different pitches are heard because various sound waves activate specific locations along the cochlea's basilar membrane. The brain determines the pitch of a sound by...
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Anatomy of the Ear01:16

Anatomy of the Ear

13.2K
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...
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Hair Cells01:22

Hair Cells

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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.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 18, 2026

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

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Minimal basilar membrane motion in low-frequency hearing.

Rebecca L Warren1, Sripriya Ramamoorthy2, Nikola Ciganović3

  • 1Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, SE-58183 Linköping, Sweden;

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|July 14, 2016
PubMed
Summary

New research reveals unique mechanical properties of the low-frequency cochlea. This study provides crucial insights into how the inner ear processes low-frequency sounds, differing from high-frequency regions.

Keywords:
basilar membranehair cellshearingoptical coherence tomography

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Last Updated: Mar 18, 2026

Morphological and Functional Evaluation of Ribbon Synapses at Specific Frequency Regions of the Mouse Cochlea
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Long-term Time Lapse Imaging of Mouse Cochlear Explants
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Investigating Outer Hair Cell Motility with a Combination of External Alternating Electrical Field Stimulation and High-speed Image Analysis
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Area of Science:

  • Auditory Neuroscience
  • Bioacoustics
  • Mechanobiology

Background:

  • Low-frequency hearing is vital for speech and music perception.
  • Mechanical measurements from intact low-frequency cochlear regions were previously unavailable.
  • The low-frequency cochlea may operate differently than high-frequency regions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mechanical behavior of the low-frequency cochlea in guinea pigs.
  • To characterize sound-evoked vibrations in the basal part of the cochlea.
  • To compare low-frequency cochlear mechanics with high-frequency regions.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized in vitro laser interferometry and in vivo optical coherence tomography.
  • Studied the low-frequency region of the guinea pig cochlea.
  • Measured sound-induced basilar membrane motion.

Main Results:

  • Sound stimulation induced motion in a minimal portion of the basilar membrane.
  • An exponential decline in motion amplitude was observed away from the peak movement region.
  • The frequency dependence of motion in the low-frequency region differed from high-frequency vibrations.

Conclusions:

  • The mechanical response of the low-frequency cochlea is distinct from high-frequency regions.
  • This study provides the first mechanical measurements from intact low-frequency cochlear areas.
  • Findings suggest unique functional mechanisms in the basal cochlea for sound processing.