Describe the structure and function of the inner ear.

A complex system of the bony and membranous labyrinth that forms the cochlea, vestibule and three semicircular canals. Inside the cochlea, there is endolymph fluid, outside – perilymph. In the wall of the cochlea, there are fibers of different lengths associated with receptors, the endings of which form the auditory nerve. A sound wave, converted into mechanical vibrations by the eardrum and reinforced by the auditory ossicles, hits the oval window of the cochlea, causes the endolymph to vibrate and irritates certain receptors that generate nerve impulses that travel along the auditory nerve to the temporal lobe of the cortex.