The inner ear

The inner ear is filled with fluid. It consists of a spiral-shaped cochlear (an ancient Greek word for the shell of a snail).

The passageways of the cochlea in the inner ear have two membranes, one of which, the Basilar membrane is lined with about 20000 microscopic hairs.

When the liquid is set into movement, by the vibrations from the sound waves reaching the middle ear, it will then set the Basilar Membrane and the hair cells into vibration. Different hair cells correspond to different sounds with the low frequency sounds placed at the top of the cochlea and the high frequency sounds placed at the bottom. The hair cells convert the sound waves into nerve impulses, which are then sent to the brain via the auditory nerve. Here, these impulses are interpreted as meaningful sounds, as we recognise.

 

Find out more about:

• The outer ear
• The middle ear
• Hearing tests

 

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