Question

In which cochleas do the outer hair cells expand and contract?

1) Left
2) Right
3) Both
4) None

Answer 1

Both the left and right cochleas contain outer hair cells that expand and contract to amplify vibrations and fine-tune hearing. These cells are an integral part of the organ of Corti on the basilar membrane.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the human ear, both the left and right cochleas contain outer hair cells that are capable of expanding and contracting. The outer hair cells are positioned within the organ of Corti, which resides on the basilar membrane inside the cochlea. These cells are crucial for fine-tuning the sensitivity and selectivity of the auditory system to different sound frequencies. They function in both ears, and their role is to amplify the vibrations caused by sound waves. This amplification is particularly important for low-level sounds. Each cochlea, whether on the left or the right, has approximately 12,000 outer hair cells arranged in three or four rows. Therefore, the correct answer to the question is that the outer hair cells expand and contract in both the left and right cochleas.