cochlea

cochlea
A conical cavity in the petrous portion of the temporal bone, forming one of the divisions of the labyrinth or internal ear. It consists of a spiral canal making two and a half turns around a central core of spongy bone, the modiolus; this spiral canal of the c. contains the membranous c., or cochlear duct, in which is the spiral organ (Corti). [L. snail shell]
- membranous c. SYN: cochlear duct.

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co·chle·a 'kō-klē-ə, 'käk-lē- n, pl co·chle·as or co·chle·ae 'kō-klē-.ē, 'käk-lē-.ē, -.ī a division of the bony labyrinth of the inner ear coiled into the form of a snail shell and consisting of a spiral canal in the petrous part of the temporal bone in which lies a smaller membranous spiral passage that communicates with the saccule at the base of the spiral, ends blindly near its apex, and contains the organ of Corti
co·chle·ar 'kō-klē-ər, 'käk-lē-ər adj

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n.
the spiral organ of the labyrinth of the ear, which is concerned with the reception and analysis of sound. As vibrations pass from the middle ear through the cochlea, different frequencies cause particular regions of the basilar membrane to vibrate: high notes cause vibration in the region nearest the middle ear; low notes cause vibration in the region nearest the tip of the spiral. The organ of Corti, which lies within a central triangular membrane-bound canal (scala media or cochlear duct), contains sensory hair cells attached to an overlying tectorial membrane. When the basilar membrane vibrates the sensory cells become distorted and send nerve impulses to the brain via the cochlear nerve.
• cochlear adj.

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coch·lea (kokґle-ə) [L. “snail shell”] 1. anything of a spiral form. 2. [TA] a spirally wound tube, resembling a snail shell, which forms part of the internal ear. Its base lies against the lateral end of the internal acoustic meatus and its apex is directed anterolaterally. It consists of the modiolus, a bony canal, and the osseous spiral lamina, which partially divides the cochlea into the essential organs of hearing, the scala vestibuli and scala tympani; the scalae communicate through the helicotrema. cochlear adj

Cochlea and other structures of the bony labyrinth.


Medical dictionary. 2011.

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Cochlea — Cross section of the cochlea …   Wikipedia

  • Cochlea — Cochlea, Schnecke, in die ⇒ knöcherne Schnecke eingelagerter, ihren Windungen folgender, häutiger Blindsack im Innenohr der Säuger, der in drei Räume geteilt ist: einen mittleren, den von Endolymphe erfüllten Schneckengang (Scala media), der als… …   Deutsch wörterbuch der biologie

  • cochlea — 1680s, spiral cavity of the inner ear, from L. cochlea snail shell, from Gk. kokhlias snail, screw, etc., from kokhlos spiral shell, perhaps related to konkhos mussel, conch …   Etymology dictionary

  • Cochlea — Coch le*a (k[o^]k l[ e]*[.a]), n. [L., a snail, or snail shell, Gr. kochli as a snail, fr. ko chlos a shellfish with a spiral shell.] (Anat.) An appendage of the labyrinth of the internal ear, which is elongated and coiled into a spiral in… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Cochlĕa — (lat.), 1) Schnecke, daher Cochlearium, Behältniß, in dem die zu verspeisenden Schnecken gemästet wurden; 2) Wasserschraube, bes. C. Archimedis; 3) Schneckenwendeltreppe; 4) C. auris (Anat.), Ohrschnecke, s. Ohr …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Cochlĕa — (lat.), die Schnecke im Ohr (s.d.); Cochleae, die gehäusetragenden Schnecken …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • cochlea — ► NOUN (pl. cochleae) ▪ the spiral cavity of the inner ear, containing an organ which produces nerve impulses in response to sound vibrations. DERIVATIVES cochlear adjective. ORIGIN Latin, snail shell or screw , from Greek kokhlias …   English terms dictionary

  • cochlea — [käk′lē ə, kōk′lē ə] n. pl. cochleae [käk′lē ē΄] or cochleas [ModL < L < Gr kochlias, snail, snail shell < kochlos, shellfish; akin to konchē: see CONCH] the spiral shaped part of the inner ear, containing the cochlear nerve endings: see …   English World dictionary

  • Cochlea — Ausguss eines menschlichen Labyrinths Die Hörschnecke (lat. Cochlea) ist ein Teil des Innenohrs und stellt das Rezeptorfeld für die Hörwahrnehmung dar. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Aufbau der Hörschnecke …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • COCHLEA — I. COCHLEA Graece κόχλος, ex Hebr. thachla, unde Graeci κάχλη et κάλχη, pro purpura, hincque κόχλος et κογχύλιον, sepeciatim de purpuraria concha, sormaverunt. Perictyone Pythagorica, l. de Concinnitate mul. Διφᾶςθαι εἵματα ἐοικότα λίην καὶ… …   Hofmann J. Lexicon universale

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