The helicotrema (from elixmeaning coil and rēmameaning hole) is the part of the cochlear labyrinth where the scala tympani and the

scala vestibuli The vestibular duct or scala vestibuli is a perilymph-filled cavity inside the cochlea of the inner ear that conducts sound vibrations to the cochlear duct. It is separated from the cochlear duct by Reissner's membrane and extends from the vesti ...

meet. It is the main component of the

cochlea The cochlea is the part of the inner ear involved in hearing. It is a spiral-shaped cavity in the bony labyrinth, in humans making 2.75 turns around its axis, the modiolus (cochlea), modiolus. A core component of the cochlea is the organ of Cort ...

r apex. The

hair cell Hair cells are the sensory receptors of both the auditory system and the vestibular system in the ears of all vertebrates, and in the lateral line organ of fishes. Through mechanotransduction, hair cells detect movement in their environment. ...

s near this area best detect low frequency sounds.

Structure

The helicotrema is a part of the cochlear labyrinth where the scala tympani and the

meet. It is the main component of the

r apex.

Function

The helicotrema connects the scala tympani and the

. This allows fluid to move between the two. It slightly impedes the travel of sound. The

s near this area best detect low frequency sounds.

Clinical significance

The

hair cells Hair cells are the sensory receptors of both the auditory system and the vestibular system in the ears of all vertebrates, and in the lateral line organ of fishes. Through mechanotransduction, hair cells detect movement in their environment. ...

near the helicotrema are at higher risk of acoustic trauma than those in most other parts of the

. It is also important during

ear surgery Otorhinolaryngology ( , abbreviated ORL and also known as otolaryngology, otolaryngology–head and neck surgery (ORL–H&N or OHNS), or ear, nose, and throat (ENT)) is a surgical subspecialty within medicine that deals with the surgical an ...

. When pressure is placed on the

perilymph Perilymph is an extracellular fluid located within the inner ear. It is found within the scala tympani and scala vestibuli of the cochlea. The ionic composition of perilymph is comparable to that of plasma and cerebrospinal fluid. The major ca ...

in the cochlea, it reduces pressure and prevents damage to the

organ of Corti The organ of Corti, or spiral organ, is the receptor organ for hearing and is located in the mammalian cochlea. This highly varied strip of epithelial cells allows for transduction of auditory signals into nerve impulses' action potential. Trans ...

References

External links

Histology
at Allegheny University of the Health Sciences
Diagram
at IUPUI {{Authority control Ear