Which part of the ear is the hearing organ turning vibrations into signals?

Which part of the ear is the hearing organ turning vibrations into signals?

• A. Inner ear
• B. Cochlea
• C. Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA) (stroke)
• D. Alzheimer's Disease

Answer: (B)

The cochlea is the hearing organ that turns vibrations into signals. Located in the inner ear, it houses the organ of Corti with hair cells. When sound vibrates the eardrum and ossicles, those motions set the fluid in the cochlea moving. The hair cells’ stereocilia bend in response, converting the mechanical energy into electrical impulses that travel via the auditory nerve to the brain for interpretation. While the inner ear includes structures for balance as well, the actual transduction of vibrations into neural signals happens in the cochlea. The other options refer to brain-related conditions and do not perform this transduction work.

The cochlea is the hearing organ that turns vibrations into signals. Located in the inner ear, it houses the organ of Corti with hair cells. When sound vibrates the eardrum and ossicles, those motions set the fluid in the cochlea moving. The hair cells’ stereocilia bend in response, converting the mechanical energy into electrical impulses that travel via the auditory nerve to the brain for interpretation. While the inner ear includes structures for balance as well, the actual transduction of vibrations into neural signals happens in the cochlea. The other options refer to brain-related conditions and do not perform this transduction work.