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The Cochlea

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.

Auditory Pathway

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...

Hair Cells

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.

Equilibrium and Balance

Equilibrium and Balance

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...

Hearing

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.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 27, 2025

Electrically Evoked Stapedius Reflex Measurements in Cochlear Implantation and Its Application in the Postoperative Fitting Process

Electrically Evoked Stapedius Reflex Measurements in Cochlear Implantation and Its Application in the Postoperative Fitting Process

Published on: June 21, 2024

Human medial olivocochlear reflex: Contralateral activation effect on low and high frequency cochlear response.

Abdullah M Jamos¹, Wafaa A Kaf¹, Mark E Chertoff²

¹Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Missouri State University, 901 S. National Ave, Springfield, MO, 65897, USA.

Hearing Research

|February 24, 2020

Summary

The medial olivocochlear (MOC) reflex enhances cochlear responses (CR) in humans, particularly for low-frequency sounds. Cochlear responses show potential as a tool for studying the MOC reflex.

Keywords:

Cochlea response Cochlear microphonic Electrocochleography Medial olivocochlear reflex Otoacoustic emissions Outer hair cell

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Last Updated: Dec 27, 2025

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Optogenetic Stimulation of the Auditory Nerve

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Published on: October 8, 2014

Area of Science:

Auditory Neuroscience
Human Physiology

Background:

The medial olivocochlear (MOC) reflex modulates auditory nerve activity.
Cochlear responses (CR), including cochlear microphonic (CM), originate from outer hair cells where MOC fibers synapse.
Investigating the MOC reflex using CR in humans remains under-researched.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the effect of contralateral MOC reflex activation on human CR.
To explore the utility of CR for studying the MOC reflex.

Main Methods:

Recorded CR in 16 female adults using 500 and 2000 Hz tone bursts at 80 dB nHL.
Activated the MOC reflex using contralateral broadband noise (CBBN) at 40 dB SPL.
Analyzed CR using peak amplitude and power spectrum methods.

Main Results:

CR amplitude was enhanced with MOC reflex activation.
This enhancement was observed for 500 Hz stimuli but not 2000 Hz stimuli.
Power spectrum analysis yielded similar frequency-dependent findings.

Conclusions:

The MOC reflex effect on CR is measurable with low-frequency stimuli.
CR can potentially serve as a tool for studying the MOC reflex in humans.
Frequency specificity of the MOC reflex's influence on CR was demonstrated.