The sensory epithelium of the inner ear is called the organ of Corti after the Italian scientist who first described it. Its orderly rows of outer hair cells is unique among the organs of the body.

The presence of two types of hair cells, the inner and outer hair cells, in the organ of Corti was appreciated nearly a 100 years ago but the function of the two has only become clear in the last 20 ...

Hair cells are highly specialized cells, attached to be basement membrane in the organ of corti within the cochlea ... may require restoration of the function of both hair cells and neurons.

The cochlea is part of the inner ear and consists of a snail-shaped structure containing three fluid-filled cavities – one of which, the scala media cavity, contains the organ of corti.

The bulging of the membrane creates a shearing motion for the hair cells of the organ of Corti, generating electrical potentials that stimulate the auditory nerve. The bulging of the basilar membrane ...