Final answer:
The organ of Corti within the cochlea contains hearing receptor cells known as hair cells, which convert mechanical sound waves into electrical signals that are interpreted by the brain.
Step-by-step explanation:
The structure that contains the hearing receptor cells and converts mechanical sound waves to electrical signals is known as the organ of Corti, which is located within the cochlea in the inner ear. The organ of Corti is composed of rows of hair cells, which have short, hair-like stereocilia. These hair cells transduce the mechanical energy from sound waves into electrochemical signals that the brain interprets as sound. When these hair cells are bent by the mechanical vibrations, they open gated ion channels, leading to depolarization of the hair cell membrane and the initiation of electrical signals that are transmitted to the auditory nerve.
Sound waves enter the ear canal, causing the tympanic membrane, or eardrum, to vibrate. These vibrations are then transmitted through the ossicles of the middle ear and finally to the oval window that leads into the cochlea. Inside the cochlea, the mechanical vibrations are converted into electrical signals by the hair cells. The process of hearing relies on this intricate conversion from sound waves to electrical impulses that are then processed by the brain.