organ of corti
The student studies a diagram of the organ of Corti in their biology textbook.
Noun: * The hearing organ of the inner ear: A complex, spiral-shaped sensory structure located within the cochlea of the inner ear. It is the ultimate site where sound waves are converted into electrical nerve impulses that the brain interprets as sound. It contains the essential auditory receptor cells (hair cells).
The term "organ of Corti" is a highly specific anatomical term used in biology, medicine, and audiology. It is always used as a singular noun and is typically preceded by the definite article "the."
- In a biological context: "Damage to the organ of Corti is a common cause of sensorineural hearing loss."
- Describing function: "Sound vibrations are transmitted to the fluid of the inner ear, where they stimulate the hair cells in the organ of Corti."
- In research: "The study focused on the regeneration of hair cells within the organ of Corti."
- The organ of Corti is named after the Italian anatomist Alfonso Corti, who first described it in detail. In formal writing, it is sometimes referred to with the eponym "Corti's organ."
- It is a key structure in discussions of cochlear implants, as these devices are designed to directly stimulate the neural pathways associated with this organ.
- Corti's organ: An eponymous variant with the same meaning.
- Cochlea: (Noun) The spiral-shaped, fluid-filled bony structure of the inner ear that houses the organ of Corti.
- Hair cells: (Noun) The sensory receptor cells within the organ of Corti that are mechanically stimulated by sound waves.
- Spiral organ: A less common but technically accurate synonym that describes its shape and function.
The "organ of Corti" has one primary, specialized meaning in auditory physiology. It does not have idiomatic or phrasal verb uses. Its definition is inseparable from its role as the sensory epithelium for hearing within the mammalian cochlea.
The student studies a diagram of the organ of Corti in their biology textbook.
- the hearing organ of the inner ear; contains receptors that respond to sound waves