Final answer:
In the organ of Corti, there are one row of inner hair cells and three or four rows of outer hair cells that are crucial for auditory transduction.
Step-by-step explanation:
The organ of Corti, located within the cochlea, is essential for the process of hearing as it contains mechanoreceptor hair cells that transduce sound vibrations into neural signals. The inner hair cells are arranged in a single row and number about 3,500, while the outer hair cells are arranged in three or four rows, with roughly 12,000 cells in total. The stereocilia of these hair cells contact or are embedded in the tectorial membrane, and their movement due to sound waves triggers a depolarization of the hair cell membrane, leading to the firing of nerve impulses carried by the cochlear nerve.