THE ORGAN OF CORTI 



633 



In the above description we have directed attention to the 

 appearance of transections of the organ of, Corti. In the study of 

 this organ in the fresh condition, and occasionally in fixed and 

 stained preparations, it is possible to obtain a surface view of this 



FIG. 458. DIAGRAM OF THE ORGAN or CORTI. 



A, surface view, from the direction of the scala media ; 5, as seen in section, 

 profile view, a, the vestibular lip of the lamina spiralis ; ft, margin of same ; c, sulcus 

 spiralis ; rf, inner sustentacular cells ; 0, inner hair cells ; /", pillar cells ; g, outer hair cells 

 and phalanges ; A, cells of Hensen ; *", cells of Claudius. Very highly magnified. 



organ from the direction of the scala media. In such prepara- 

 tions the polygonal outlines of the columnar cells of the limbus 

 spiralis, beneath which are the auditory teeth, are seen on the 

 outer side of the attachment of Reissner's membrane. Beneath 

 the overhanging vestibular lip of the limbus the mosaic of large 

 polygonal epithelial cells of the sulcus comes into view. At the 

 margin of the organ of Corti these are exchanged for the broader 

 cell ends of the inner sustentacular cells and the adjacent single 

 row of inner hair cells. 



The flattened rectangular head plates of the pillar cells form 

 the next row, the heads of the outer pillars projecting from beneath, 



