Where does the organ of Corti rest in the ear?

The organ of Corti is located on the basilar membrane within the cochlea of the inner ear. It is a crucial structure for hearing, as it contains hair cells that convert sound vibrations into neural signals to be sent to the brain. The basilar membrane serves as the foundation for the organ of Corti, allowing it to respond to sound waves moving through the cochlear fluid. When these sound waves travel through the fluid, they create vibrations in the basilar membrane, which then stimulate the hair cells of the organ of Corti, leading to the transduction of sound.

Other structures mentioned, such as the semicircular canals, tympanic membrane, and cochlear duct, serve different roles in the auditory and vestibular systems. The semicircular canals are involved in balance, the tympanic membrane (or eardrum) transmits sound from the outer ear to the middle ear, and the cochlear duct is a compartment of the cochlea that contains the endolymph fluid but does not directly support the organ of Corti itself. Therefore, identifying the basilar membrane as the resting place of the organ of Corti highlights the functional relationship between structure and auditory processing.