The cochlea is the portion of the inner ear that senses sound vibrations and converts them into electrical signals that the auditory system can interpret. The cochlea is an example of active cellular ...

For decades, hearing experts thought that the cochlea's spiral shape was simply an efficient packing job and its shape had no effect on how this critical hearing organ functions. But a recent study by ...

Shape matters, even in hearing. Specifically, it is the shape of the cochlea -- the snail-shell-shaped organ in the inner ear that converts sound waves into nerve impulses that the brain deciphers -- ...