Which anatomical structure of the inner ear contains the organ of Corti, the sensory receptor organ for hearing?

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: A. Cochlea (specifically resting on the basilar membrane within the scala media)

  1. Step 1: The inner ear (labyrinth) consists of the vestibular apparatus (responsible for balance) and the cochlea (responsible for hearing).
  2. Step 2: The coiled cochlea is divided into three fluid-filled channels: scala vestibuli, scala media (cochlear duct), and scala tympani.
  3. Step 3: The organ of Corti is a sensory structure situated on the basilar membrane within the scala media.
  4. Step 4: It contains rows of sensory hair cells whose stereocilia are deflected by acoustic pressure waves in the endolymph against the overlying tectorial membrane, generating auditory action potentials in the cochlear nerve.
Answer
Cochlea (specifically resting on the basilar membrane within the scala media)
Why not the others: 'Semicircular canals (within the ampullary crista)' sense rotational angular acceleration; 'Vestibule (within the utricle and saccule maculae)' senses linear acceleration and gravitational balance; 'Tympanic cavity of the middle ear' houses the auditory ossicles (malleus, incus, stapes).

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