Cochlea
Cochlea: The cochlea is the part of the inner ear that converts mechanical energy (vibrations) into nerve impulses sent to the brain. It is also known as the organ of hearing.
The cochlea is a small conical structure resembling a snail shell. The word “cochlea” is a Latin word derived from the Greek “kokhlos” designating the land snail.
A coiled tube, the cochlea winds two and three quarters turns about a central bony axis, forming the front (the anterior) part of the labyrinth (a maze within the inner ear). The cochlea contains the spiral organ (called the organ of Corti) which is the receptor for hearing.
Read Also:
- Cochlear implant
Cochlear implant: A device that is surgically placed (implanted) within the inner ear to help a person with a certain form of deafness to hear. Cochlear implants rarely cure severe or profound deafness, but they can help some hearing-impaired people to distinguish the sounds of language clearly enough to participate in a verbal environment. For […]
- Cockayne syndrome
Cockayne syndrome: A genetic disorder that involves progressive multisystem degeneration and is classified as a segmental premature-aging syndrome. Cockayne syndrome is characterized by dwarfism, prematurely aging, visual problems and deafness, sensitivity to sunlight, and mental retardation. Cockayne syndrome is a transcription- and DNA repair deficiency syndrome. The syndrome arises from mutations in the CSA and […]
- Cockroach allergy
Cockroach allergy: A condition that manifests as an allergic reaction when one is exposed to tiny particles from cockroaches. Asthma can be due to exposure to cockroach allergens (allergy-provoking substances). These substances are the proteins shed or excreted by the cockroaches. In a study reported in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (1999;103:501-506), the […]
- Cod liver oil
Cod liver oil: An oil extracted from the liver of the cod. Cod liver oil was once given religiously to children every day as a rich source of vitamins A and D. It was also used to treat children with rickets, a bone disease due to vitamin D deficiency. Cod liver oil is now known […]
- Code
Code: The genetic code is the correspondence between the triplet of bases in DNA with the amino acids. The discovery of the genetic code clearly ranks as one of the premiere events of what has been called the Golden Age of Biology (and Medicine).