The Cochlea is part of the inner ear and is the organ required for hearing
. The name Cochlea derives from the Latin word which means 'snail.' The reason behind this is because the shape is that of a coil or snails shell.
Inside the Cochlea is a watery liquid which moves when vibrations from the middle ear occur. As the watery liquid moves it moves with it a number of hair cells which then cause a number of nerve cells to react.
The hair cells are located in neat rows of four along the length of the cochlear. The most inner hair cells are responsible for providing the main neutral output of the cochlea whereas the outer hairs mainly receive neutral input from the brain.
When measuring a very low frequency sound(under 20 Hz for example) the waves move along the complete length of the cochlea all the way to the helicotrema, higher frequent sounds do not reach the helicotrema. .
A very big movement due to a large noise can result in hair cells dying; this is how hearing loss occurs and therefore why people working in industry or noisy environments tend to wear earplugs or earmuffs for protection.
Very noisy sound levels can be detrimental to health and in many cases loss of hearing is mainly due to noise exposure over the course of a lifetime. The most common culprits to progressive hearing loss are noise related to vehicle and aircrafts, being around loud music often and general industrial noise among others.
A cochlear implant can improve the hearing of somebody who is either hard of hearing or profoundly deaf. Cochlear implants are often referred to as bionic ears. It has been estimated that as of April 2009 as many as 188,000 people worldwide had a cochlear ear implant.
A cochlear implant will not provide a cure for deafness but it does provide a substitute to hearing. Every patient is different which means that the level of success is also varying. The implant is generally a good solution for those who have lost their hearing suddenly.