Question

The organ of Corti is situated on the
(A) Basilar membrane in the tympanic canal
(B) Reissner’s membrane in the vestibular canal
(C) Basilar membrane in the median canal
(D) Reissner’s membrane in the tympanic canal

Answer 1

Hint: The corti is the organ which is present in the mammalian cochlea of the inner ear. It is the receptor organ for the hearing purpose. It is also known as the body’s microphone. In this organ the epithelial cells transfer the audio signal into the nerve impulse to the brain.

Complete Answer:
This is located between the vestibular duct and the tympanic duct of the inner ear and is composed of four rows of mechanosensory cells called hair cells. These lie in the floor of the cochlear duct which is a basilar membrane. The transduction takes place in such a way that the audio vibration when entered into the inner ear, causes the displacement of the cochlear fluid due to the vibration and also the movement of the hair cells in the inner ear.

This results in the production of the electrochemical signals. This organ of corti converts the sound waves with the amplitude $22$ times greater than the sound they enter the external ear. Hence these are known as the sound amplifiers and transformers of the ear. This organ is situated on the Basilar’s membrane in the median canal.

Thus, the option (C) is correct.

Note: The organ of corti may get damaged due to the high noise levels. This is because the outer hair cells of the corti are very sensitive to the damage due to very loud sounds or to certain toxic drugs. If they are damaged, they cannot be regenerated and this leads to permanent loss in hearing.