Final answer:
The receptor cells in the cochlea of the inner ear are called hair cells, consisting of inner hair cells that are primarily responsible for transmitting auditory signals, and outer hair cells that fine-tune sound waves. They function as mechanoreceptors, transforming vibrations into electrical signals sent to the brain.
Step-by-step explanation:
The receptor cells of the auditory system, found within the cochlea of the inner ear, are known as hair cells. These cells are integral to the process of hearing, playing a key role in converting sound wave vibrations into electrical signals that the brain can interpret. The organ of Corti, or spiral organ, contains two types of hair cells: the inner hair cells and the outer hair cells. The inner hair cells, which exist in a single row of approximately 3,500 cells, are the primary auditory receptors. Their stereocilia extend into the tectorial membrane's lower surface and are responsible for transmitting signals to the cochlear nerve.
On the other hand, the outer hair cells are arranged in three or four rows and total approximately 12,000 cells. They serve to fine-tune the incoming sound waves with their longer stereocilia that are attached to the tectorial membrane. The bending of these stereocilia due to sound waves causes the hair cells to be depolarized, initiating an electrical signal which runs through the auditory pathway. This pathway includes the afferent neurons, which carry auditory information from the cochlea to the primary auditory cortex in the temporal lobe of the brain.
Therefore, the hair cells operate as mechanoreceptors that are vital for the sensory transduction process, wherein they convert auditory stimuli into neural signals that fulfil the sense of hearing.