Cochlea – A Physiological Description of a Finely Structured Sense Organ

Abstract

The whole inner ear or the cochlea, responsible for hearing perception, represents a unique sense organ, including the organ of Corti and the inner ear endo-and perilymph. The fluid homeostasis of the lymph spaces with its parameters volume, concentration, osmolarity and pressure, as well as the finely aligned hair cell receptors, their supporting cells and structures embedded in these unique fluid spaces, corresponds to the specific necessities for adequate response to continuous stimulation and the outstanding discrimination capacity of the hearing system. The manuscript gives an overview and describes the structural characteristics and distinct physiological hearing qualities of the cochlea in comparison with the other human receptor cells and sense organs.