Immunological Disorders and Immunotherapy
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Inner Ear

Inner ear, also called labyrinth of the ear, part of the ear that contains organs of the senses of hearing and equilibrium. The bony labyrinth, a cavity in the temporal bone, is divided into three sections: the vestibule, the semicircular canals, and the cochlea. Within the bony labyrinth is a membranous labyrinth, which is also divided into three parts: the semicircular ducts; two saclike structures, the saccule and utricle, located in the vestibule; and the cochlear duct, which is the only part of the inner ear involved in hearing. The cochlear duct forms a shelf across the cochlea dividing it into two sections, the scala vestibuli and the scala tympani. The entire inner ear is bathed in a cushioning fluid, called the endolymph when it lies within the membranous labyrinth and the perilymph when it separates the bony and membranous labyrinths. In the cochlea, both the bony labyrinth and the cochlear duct are coiled in a shape resembling that of a snail shell. Resting along the basilar membrane, which forms the base of the cochlear duct, is an arrangement of sensory cells and supporting cells known as the organ of Corti. This cluster of cells varies in thickness, so that different regions within the cochlea are sensitive to different wavelengths of sound.