Text: Within the canalis membranacea cochlea, and separated from it by a membrane called the "membrana tectoria" lies an assemblage of structures known as the "organ of Corti" after its describer. The essential part of the organ of Corti is a double series of rods, whose bases are separated by some distance, while their upper ends meet at an angle, the continuous series of rods forming a sort of spiral gabled roof, gradually diminishing as it follows the spiral course of the cochlea. The regularity of their arrangement, seen from above, suggests the key-board of a pianoforte. They have been estimated by Kölliker as about 3,000 in number, and are composed of a dense material. The inner series are more closely set and more numerous than the outer, which they overlap. Both series are enlarged at their bases and heads, especially the latter.

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Source: 125