The Inner Ear

The cochlea transforms pressure variations into properly coded neural impulses.

As a first approximation, consider an unraveled cochlea and only two main sections separated by the basilar membrane:

1. the scala tympani (bottom)
2. the scala vestibule (top)

The oval and round windows are at the larger end of the cylinder, and a small hole (helicotrema) is at the smaller end to connect the two sections.