Many are interested in the organ of Corti and its functions. Every person should have at least a concise idea of it. The organ of Corti is the peripheral part of the auditory apparatus. She is in the membranous labyrinth. In the course of evolution, this part of the auditory analyzer developed on the basis of the lateral line organs (namely, their structures).
It captures the vibrations of the waves located in the labyrinth of the inner ear, and then sends them to the auditory area of the cerebral cortex, resulting in the perception of sounds. The organ of Corti performs an important function. It is in it that the initial formation of the analysis of all kinds of sound signals is carried out. This organ was first discovered by Alfonso Corti, an Italian histologist.
Where is the organ of Corti?
It is located in the cochlear duct, which contains the perilymph and endolymph, and is a bony labyrinth that looks like a spiral. The upper part of the course is adjacent to the so-called vestibular staircase. It is called the Reisner membrane. And the lower part, located near the scala tympani, consists of the main membrane in contact with the bone spiralplate.
Purpose and structure
The organ of Corti is located on the basilar membrane, it is formed by external as well as internal hair and supporting cells. As an example, poles can be cited. Also included are the cells of Hensen, Claudius and Deiters. They are the organ of Corti. Between them is a tunnel through which axons pass, located in the nerve spiral node. They rush to the hair cells that respond to sound signals. The latter, in turn, lie in the recesses created by the bodies of the supporting cells. On their surface, turned to the integumentary membrane, there are from 30 to 60 short hairs. Supporting cells also carry out a trophic function. How exactly? They send nutrients to the hair cells. The role of the organ of Corti is the transformation of the energy of sound vibrations into nervous excitation. For this, in fact, he is needed. This is the function of the organ of Corti. Histology also allows you to get acquainted with its structure.
Physiology
The tympanic membrane captures sound vibrations, which, through the bones located in the middle ear, enter the liquid media - endolymph, as well as perilymph. Their movements contribute to the fact that the integumentary membrane of the organ of Corti is slightly removed from the hair cells. What happens as a result? The hairs bend first.
Then there are biopotentials that are perceived by the spiral ganglion (and ifmore precisely, the processes of its neurons). They approach the bottom of all hair cells. The structure of the organ of Corti is of great interest to many researchers.
Another theory
There is also another opinion on this matter. According to him, the hairs of cells that pick up sound signals are just sensitive antennas that depolarize as a result of the impact of arriving waves. Endolymphatic acetylcholine plays a significant role here. Depolarization triggers a sequence of chemical transformations in the hair cells, namely in their cytoplasm. After that, a nerve impulse appears in the nerve endings in contact with them. Sound vibrations have different pitches. For each of them, a separate part of the organ of Corti is intended. High frequencies provoke vibration in the areas of the cochlea located closer to the base, and low frequencies - at the top. This is due to hydrodynamic phenomena in the cochlea. The organ of Corti, whose functions you now know, plays a significant role in this whole process.
It turns out that the snail can be considered a mechanical determinant of the amplitude-frequency characteristic: by its action it resembles exactly it. But it doesn't really look like a microphone.
Why is this process so important?
Due to the above features, the brain can immediately respond to certain audio signals, rather than Fourier transform, resorting to mathematics (by the way, it lacks computational power) to sortcaptured information from sources. It would be too difficult. It is easier to understand what the organ of Corti is than to imagine such a process.
How do I get the information I need?
To learn more about the angular direction of the signal source, you need to pay attention to the polarization of the audio harmonics. This is an important condition. It turns out that the ear allows you to capture information about polarization. You can also learn about the amplitude of all harmonics of audio signals. In the case of low frequencies, the brain and ear, among other things, receive information regarding the phase of the harmonics, which means that the direction of vibration can be traced. What do I need to do? Simply calculate the phase difference of the sound from the left as well as the right ear. Easy enough, right? Although, of course, it is easier to figure out what the organ of Corti is.
The feature of additional compression of audio information can significantly reduce the time it takes to analyze the information that has been received. The snail is twisted, and thanks to this, it becomes possible to shoot the spectrum while combining octaves.
Now you know what the organ of Corti is and what structure it has. You are also aware of the functions it performs. All this is very important and useful to know.
