Modiolus
Modiolus cochleae
Sensory (eye & ear)OrgansHeadLeft and right
View left in 3D View right in 3D
- What it is
- The bony central pillar of the cochlea, perforated by tiny canals for the fibres of the cochlear nerve. The spiral ganglion, holding the cell bodies of the hearing neurons, lies in a spiral canal around its base.
- Function
- Anchors the bony spiral lamina and channels nerve fibres from the organ of Corti to the internal acoustic meatus.
- Size
- About 4-5 mm high; the spiral ganglion holds roughly 30,000 neurons.
- Clinical note
- Loss of spiral ganglion cells limits how well a cochlear implant can work, because the implant stimulates these neurons directly.