The cochlea is part of which sense organ?

• A. Outer ear.
• B. Olfactory system.
• C. Middle ear.
• D. Inner ear.

Answer: (D)

Hearing is housed in the inner ear. The cochlea is a spiral, fluid-filled structure inside the inner ear that contains the organ of Corti, where hair cells convert mechanical vibrations from sound into electrical signals. These signals travel via the auditory nerve to the brain to produce sound perception. The outer ear and middle ear are involved in collecting and transmitting sound, but they aren’t the sensory organ for hearing. The olfactory system handles smell, a different sense altogether. So the cochlea belongs to the inner ear.