Editing Inner ear (section)

===Microanatomy===
[[File:Cochlea-crosssection.svg|thumb|A cross-section of the [[cochlea]] showing the [[organ of Corti]].]]
[[File:Organ of corti.svg|thumb|Cross-section through the spiral organ of Corti at greater magnification.]]

Rosenthal's canal or the spiral canal of the cochlea is a section of the bony labyrinth of the inner ear that is approximately 30&nbsp;mm long and makes 2¾ turns about the [[modiolus (cochlea)|modiolus]], the central axis of the cochlea that contains the [[spiral ganglion]].

Specialized inner ear cell include: hair cells, pillar cells, Boettcher's cells, Claudius' cells, spiral ganglion neurons, and Deiters' cells (phalangeal cells).

The hair cells are the primary auditory receptor cells and they are also known as auditory sensory cells, acoustic hair cells, auditory cells or cells of Corti. The [[organ of Corti]] is lined with a single row of inner hair cells and three rows of outer hair cells. The hair cells have a hair bundle at the apical surface of the cell. The hair bundle consists of an array of actin-based stereocilia. Each stereocilium inserts as a rootlet into a dense filamentous actin mesh known as the cuticular plate. Disruption of these bundles results in hearing impairments and balance defects.

Inner and outer pillar cells in the organ of Corti support hair cells. Outer pillar cells are unique because they are free standing cells which only contact adjacent cells at the bases and apices. Both types of pillar cell have thousands of cross linked [[microtubule]]s and [[actin]] filaments in parallel orientation. They provide mechanical coupling between the [[basement membrane]] and the [[mechanoreceptor]]s on the hair cells.

[[Boettcher cell|Boettcher's cells]] are found in the organ of Corti where they are present only in the lower turn of the cochlea. They lie on the basilar membrane beneath Claudius' cells and are organized in rows, the number of which varies between species. The cells interdigitate with each other, and project [[microvillus|microvilli]] into the intercellular space. They are supporting cells for the auditory hair cells in the organ of Corti. They are named after German pathologist [[Arthur Böttcher]] (1831–1889).

[[Claudius cell|Claudius' cells]] are found in the organ of Corti located above rows of Boettcher's cells. Like Boettcher's cells, they are considered supporting cells for the auditory hair cells in the organ of Corti. They contain a variety of [[aquaporin]] water channels and appear to be involved in ion transport. They also play a role in sealing off endolymphatic spaces. They are named after the German anatomist [[Friedrich Matthias Claudius]] (1822–1869).

[[Deiters cell|Deiters' cells]] (phalangeal cells) are a type of [[neuroglia]]l cell found in the organ of Corti and organised in one row of inner phalangeal cells and three rows of outer phalangeal cells. They are the supporting cells of the hair cell area within the cochlea. They are named after the German pathologist Otto Deiters (1834–1863) who described them.

[[Hensen cell|Hensen's cells]] are high columnar cells that are directly adjacent to the third row of Deiters' cells.

[[Hensen's stripe]] is the section of the tectorial membrane above the inner hair cell.

[[Nuel's spaces]] refer to the fluid-filled spaces between the outer pillar cells and adjacent hair cells and also the spaces between the outer hair cells.

[[Hardesty's membrane]] is the layer of the tectoria closest to the reticular lamina and overlying the outer hair cell region.

[[Reissner's membrane]] is composed of two cell layers and separates the scala media from the scala vestibuli.

[[Huschke's teeth]] are the tooth-shaped ridges on the spiral limbus that are in contact with the tectoria and separated by interdental cells.