cochlear

coch·le·a

C0442800 (kŏk′lē-ə, kō′klē-ə)n. pl. coch·le·ae (-lē-ē′, -lē-ī′) also coch·le·as A spiral-shaped cavity of the inner ear that resembles a snail shell and contains nerve endings essential for hearing.

[Latin, snail shell, from Greek kokhliās, snail, from kokhlos, land snail.]

coch′le·ar adj.

Thesaurus

Adj.

cochlear - of or relating to the cochlea of the ear; "cochlear implant"

Translations

cochléairecoclea

cochlear

coch·le·ar

(kok'lē-ăr), Relating to the cochlea.

coch·le·ar

(kok'lē-ăr) Relating to the cochlea.

STRUCTURES OF THE COCHLEA

cochlea

(kŏk′lē-ă) [Gr. kokhlos, land snail] A winding cone-shaped tube forming a portion of the bony labyrinth of the inner ear. It contains the organ of Corti, the receptor for hearing.

The cochlea is coiled, resembling a snail shell, winding two and three quarters turns about a central bony axis, the modiolus. Projecting outward from the modiolus, a thin bony plate, the spiral lamina, partially divides the cochlear canal into an upper passageway, the scala vestibuli, and a lower one, the scala tympani. Between the two scalae is the cochlear duct, the auditory portion of the membranous labyrinth. The spiral organ (of Corti) lies on its floor. The base of the cochlea adjoins the vestibule. At the cupola or tip, the two scalae are joined at the helicotrema.

See: illustrationcochlear (-ăr), adjective

cochlear

of or relating to the COCHLEA of the ear.