What part of the ear contains the sensory receptors for hearing?
Quick Answer
The part of the ear that contains the sensory organs for hearing and balance is the inner ear, says the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. The cochlea is the inner ear’s hearing part, while the semicircular canals are part of the balance system.
Continue Reading
Full Answer
The cochlea is a bony structure containing two fluids, the endolymph and the perilymph, states the ASHA. The inner ear has a sensory receptor inside the cochlea called the Organ of Corti. It is responsible for holding the hair cells, which are the nerve receptors for hearing. Movements of the middle ear bones create a mechanical energy that pushes on a membrane in the cochlea, causing the cochlea’s fluids to move. The fluids then stimulate small hair cells. These hair cells send signals that are transformed into nerve impulses. The brain receives these nerve impulses through the cochlear region of the auditory nerve, which delivers impulses from the cochlea to a relay station in the cochlear nucleus. The nerve impulses are carried on to other brain pathways ending in the auditory cortex, or the hearing part, of the brain.
The ASHA explains that the inner ear also contains the utricle, the saccule and the semicircular canals. These parts of the ear serve as balance organs and help control a person’s sense of steadiness.
Learn more about OrgansRelated Questions
-
Q:
How does the inner ear control your balance?
A: A fluid flows around the vestibular system, the section of the inner ear involved with balance, impinging on specialized sensory cells and generating signa... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
What are the two functions of the inner ear?
A: The two functions of the inner ear are hearing and balance. The inner ear is made up of specialized parts which help the brain determine motion, body posit... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
What are the parts of the inner ear that are responsible for balance?
A: The semicircular canals, saccule, and utricle are the parts located within the inner ear that are responsible for monitoring and maintaining balance. Infor... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
What are symptoms of inner ear crystals?
A: Crystals normally occur in the inner ear, but the symptoms that arise when they become dislodged include dizziness and a sense that the room is spinning, a... Full Answer >Filed Under:
You May Also Like
-
Q:
What are some facts about the functions of the liver?
-
Q:
Where is the sigmoid colon?
-
Q:
How do you locate a part number for Chrysler products?
-
Q:
What is the function of the iris in the eye?
-
Q:
What contains receptors for the sense of balance?
-
Q:
What organelle contains DNA other than the nucleus and mitochondria?
