Organ of Corti, inner ear, SEM (C001/2655) Pin

Organ of Corti. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the organ of Corti from the cochlea of the inner ear. The bony capsule that encloses the organ has been removed to reveal the organ's spiral structure. Rows of sensory hairs within the organ of Corti convert sound vibrations into nerve impulses that are sent along the auditory nerve to the brain. Different sound frequencies stimulate hairs in different positions along the spiral. Low frequencies stimulate those near the top of the spiral and high frequencies stimulate those near the bottom.