Inner Ear Physiology

Question	Answer
What are the three canals within the cochlea?	Vestibular canal, tympanic canal and the scala media (cochlea duct)
Which two membranes separate the canals within the cochlea?	Reissner's membrane makes up one wall of the scala media and separates it from the vestibular canal. The Basilar membrane separates the scala media from the tympanic canal.
How is the cochlea organised?	The cochlea is tonotopically organised, high frequencies only travel a short distance along the Basilar membrane before they die out
What is the helicotrema?	Is a small opening at the end of the vestibular canal at which fluid is able to flow through to the tympanic canal
How is the mechanical energy transduced into neural energy within the organ of corti?	When stimulated the hair cells sitting in the organ of corti will lift up, pushing the sterocilia into the tectorial membrane bending them. This causes an action potential which travels along the nerve fibres to the auditory nerve of which passes information to the primary auditory cortex.
What is the function of the round window?	The round window (located within the tympanic canal) is a membrane of which moves in opposition to the oval window to relieve the pressure in the fluid filling the vestibular and tympanic canals

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	Created by Petite Piplup over 10 years ago