cochlea

cochlea definition - medical

coch·le·a (kŏkˈlē-ə, kōˈklē-ə)

noun pl. coch·le·as or coch·le·ae (-lē-ēˌ)
A spiral-shaped cavity in the petrous portion of the temporal bone of the inner ear, containing the nerve endings essential for hearing and forming one of the divisions of the labyrinth.

Related Forms:

  • cochˈle·ar (-ər) adjective

The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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