The organ of Corti is located in which part of the ear responsible for hearing?

• A. Ear canal
• B. Middle ear
• C. Semicircular canals
• D. The cochlea (inner ear)

Answer: (D)

The organ of Corti is the hearing organ, and it sits inside the cochlea, the spiraled structure of the inner ear. When sound waves set the cochlear fluids in motion, hair cells along the organ of Corti bend and convert those mechanical vibrations into electrical signals that travel to the brain via the auditory nerve. The ear canal is the external passage leading to the eardrum, the middle ear contains the tympanic membrane and ossicles that transmit vibrations, and the semicircular canals are part of the balance system. So, the organ of Corti is located in the cochlea of the inner ear.