Question

The cochlea is a spiral-shaped structure in the inner ear that contains the organ of Corti. What is the function of the organ of Corti?

1) It is responsible for transmitting sound vibrations to the brain.
2) It is responsible for detecting and converting sound vibrations into electrical signals.
3) It is responsible for maintaining balance and equilibrium.
4) It is responsible for filtering out background noise.

Answer 1

The organ of Corti is responsible for detecting and converting sound vibrations into electrical signals that the brain perceives as sound.

Step-by-step explanation:

The function of the organ of Corti is detecting and converting sound vibrations into electrical signals. This spiral structure within the cochlea of the inner ear contains hair cells that are mechanoreceptors. These hair cells are stimulated by the movement of the fluid within the cochlea caused by sound vibrations.

The hair cells' stereocilia make contact with the tectorial membrane, and as they bend in response to the vibrations, gated ion channels open. This leads to the depolarization of the hair cell membrane, resulting in a signal that is transmitted to the cochlear nerve and on to the brain, which then perceives the signal as sound.

While the cochlea is involved with hearing, the vestibule is the region responsible for maintaining balance and equilibrium, and these functions are collectively transmitted to the brain through the vestibulocochlear nerve.