Receptoneural and innervation aspects of the inner ear anatomy with respect to cochlear mechanics

The important features of the innervation pattern of the organ of Corti are reviewed and the possible functional implications discussed. The numerical characteristics, the pattern, the structural features and the central connections of the afferent and efferent innervation of the inner and outer hair cells indicate that the information-transfer from the organ of Corti to the central nervous system occurs essentially in the inner hair cell system with its numerous associated neurons and that the functional emphasis of the outer hair cell system is in the periphery at the receptor cell level, probably by monitoring the receptor organ.