What part of the ear is located inside the cochlea?

The Organ of Corti is located inside the cochlea, which is a spiral-shaped structure in the inner ear. It plays a crucial role in the auditory system by converting sound vibrations into neural signals that the brain can interpret as sound. The Organ of Corti contains hair cells, which are the sensory receptors for hearing. When sound waves enter the cochlea, they create fluid waves that move the hair cells in the Organ of Corti, leading to the stimulation of these cells and the subsequent transmission of auditory information to the brain through the auditory nerve.

Understanding the structure of the ear enhances comprehension of how we perceive sound. The middle ear, which includes the ossicles, and the outer ear, comprised of the pinna and the ear canal, have distinct functions related to the transmission and funneling of sound waves, but they do not contain the Organ of Corti, which is specific to the inner ear.