Auditory Sense

Hearing
(Inner Ear)

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 Components of Auditory System

• External Ear
Auditory
Nerve • Middle Ear
• Internal Ear

Cochlea; Snail shaped

 Sound waves cause back and
forth movement of the tympanic
membrane which moves the
stapes back and forth
 This causes displacement of fluid
in the cochlea and induces
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vibration in the basilar membrane
 Cochlea
• System of three coiled tubes separated by membranes into:-
the scala tympani, scala media, scala vestibuli

i. Scala Vestibuli &

ii. Scala Media
• Separated by thin
Reissner’s membrane
• Does not obstruct
sound waves through
fluid
• Both act as single
chamber for iii. Scala Tympani
conduction of sound • Separated by Basilar membrane
• Organs of Corti lie on it
• Hair cells generate receptor potential
→ Action Potential
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 Cochlea (cont.)
Basilar Membrane:
• Contain 20,000 – 30,000 Basilar fibers
• Projects from bony center (Modiolus) to the outer well of cochlea
• Basilar fibers are stiff reed-like structures fixed to the modiolus &
embedded in basilar membrane
• Length of Basilar fibers increase progressively from base (oval
window) towards Helicotrema (12-fold)
• Diameter of Basilar fibers decrease from base to helicotrema

 Near Oval window: 0.04 mm,

stiff & short; vibrate best at
high frequency
 Near Helicotrema: 0.5 mm,
long & limber; vibrate best at
low frequency
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Cochlea (cont.)
• Basilar fibers can
vibrate like a
musical reed
• Basilar fibers are
stiff (near oval
widow) and long/
free at one end (tip
of cochlea)
• Overall stiffness
of basilar fibers
decreases 100x
from base to apex
• High frequency
resonance occurs
near base (oval
window) & low
frequency near
apex (helicotrema)
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 Organ of Corti
• Receptor organ, generates A.P on vibration of basilar
membrane
• Lies on the surface of the basilar membrane
• Consists of two specialized cells:
i. Single row of inner hair cells
ii. 3-4 rows of outer hair cells
(Inner cells are more concerned with detection of sound)

• Bases & sides of hair cells synapse with network of

cochlear nerve endings.
 90-95% nerve endings terminate on inner hair cells
 5-10% nerve endings terminate on outer hair cells
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Organ of Corti (cont.)
 The tectorial membrane
lies above the stereocilia
of the hair cells (Awning
like projection overhanging
the organ of corti; shelter-
like canvas making roof)
 Movement of the basilar
membrane causes the
stereocilia of the hair cells
to shear back and forth
against the tectorial
membrane

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 Transmission of sound waves in the Cochlea

Fluid
movement
within the
perilymph
sets up
vibration of
the oval
window to
follow two
pathways:-

1. One dissipating sound energy through S.Vestibuli→ helicotrema → S.

Tympani → Round window vibrates
2. ‘Shortcut’ from S.Vestibuli→ via basilar membrane triggers → Organs of
Corti → to initiate receptor potential 8
 Endocochlear Potential
• Scala Vestibuli & Scala Tympani contain perilymph
(Similar composition as CSF)
• Scala Media contain endolymph
(High conc. of K+, low conc. of Na+)

• Hair cells have -ve intracellular potential (- 70mv) with

respect to perilymph
with respect to endolymph (-150mv)

• An electrical potential between endolymph and perilymph is

called endocochlear potential = +80 mv with positivity in
scala media (Endolymph) & negativity outside (Perilymph)

• High Electrical potential of -150 mv at tips of stereocilia

• Greatly sensitizes the cell to respond to slightest sound
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 Endocochlear Potential (cont.)
Dashed arrow; path by which K+ recycles from hair cells to the
supporting cells to the spiral ligament (SL) and then secreted
back into the endolymph by cells in the stria vascularis (SV)

Perilymph
(scala media +80 mV)
(-150mV)
RMP of hair cells
with respect to:-
Perilymph -70mV endolymph
& with respect to
endolymph -150mV
Perilymph
Endolymph (formed by stria
vascularis): high conc. of K+
& low conc. of Na+ 10
 How sound waves are transmitted to CNS?
“Sound Transduction”
• Inner cells of “Organ of
Corti”.…..are cells that “hear”
• Inner cells transform ‘mechanical
force’ of sound into ‘electrical
impulses’ (AP) of hearing.
• The stereocilia, when bent in one
direction cause the hair cells to
depolarize, and when bent in the
opposite direction hyperpolarize.
 this begins the neural transduction
of the auditory signal

Auditory signals are transmitted by the inner hair cells.

outer hair cells are 3-4x more than inner hair cells
outer hair cells may control the sensitivity of the inner hair
cells for different sound pitches
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“Sound Transduction” (cont.)
 Stereocilia of each hair cell
arranged in three rows in
stair-like pattern
 The tallest stereocilium is
linked to overlying tectorial
membrane
 When basilar membrane
moves upward: bundle of
stereocilia bend towards the
tallest cilium, stretched tip-links
tug open mechanically gated K+
channels → depolarization
 When basilar membrane
moves downward: hair bundle
bends away from the tallest
stereocilium, K+ channels closed
→ hyperpolarization
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Role of Stereocilia in Sound Transduction
Depolarization & Hyperpolarization of Receptor Hair Cells

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Role of Outer Hair Cells in Sound Transduction??
• Outer hair cells are 3-4x more
than inner hair cells.
• Do not signal the brain about
sound.
• Outer hair cells exhibit
“electromotility”
- Shorten on depolarization
- Lengthen on hyperpolarization

Changes in length of outer hair cells mechanically amplify the

movement of the basement membrane (just like movement of
suspension bridge by a walking person)
Thus outer cells;
 make the inner hair cells more sensitive to sound intensity
 help in discrimination between various pitches of sound
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 Sound Transduction (The function of cochlea)
Sound Waves Vibration of T. Membrane
Vibration of Ossicles in Middle ear - Conduction of sound waves
- Impedance Matching
- Attenuation Reflex
Vibration of Oval window

Fluid Movement within Cochlea

(Pressure Wave)

Vibration of Basilar Membrane

Bending of Hairs of Mechanoreceptor (hair cells of Organ of Corti)

Graded Potential changes (Receptor potential) in receptor cells

Action potential Generated in Auditory Nerve

Propagation of A.P to Auditory cortex

(In temporal lobe of Brain) & Sound Perception
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