The next time someone whispers in your ear, think "cochlea." The cochlea is the marvelous structure in the inner ear that is shaped like a snail shell and transforms sounds into the nerve impulses ...

Measuring cochlear function A leading theory about the nerves that send signals from the brain to the cochlea (known as "efferent" fibers) is that they control the cochlea's response to sound on a ...

Scientists have kept a tiny slice of cochlea alive outside the body, directly witnessing how hair cells amplify sound. The finding confirms a universal principle of hearing and could pave the way for ...