The cochlea is a fluid-filled, spiral-shaped cavity found in the inner ear that plays a vital role in the sense of hearing and participates in the process of auditory transduction. Sound waves are transduced into electrical impulses that the brain can interpret as individual sound frequencies. The spiral configuration of the cochlea allows for differing frequencies to stimulate specific areas along the spiral, which results in a tonotopic map that enables humans to perceive various frequencies of sound.
Specific areas along the cochlea are stimulated by vibrations carried within a fluid known as endolymph in the cochlear duct. The vibrations are then converted to electrical impulses in the cochlear duct through mechanical stimulation of hair cells within a unique structure known as the organ of Corti. The vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII) then carries these impulses from the cochlea to the brain's auditory cortex for interpretation.
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