Action of Corti's organ and the cochlea: a new theory.

An "engineer's model" of the labyrinth is derived from the monoclinic crystal and the avian egg. The anatomy of the human cochlea and of the semicircular canals is then related by diffraction theory and Fresnel's explanation of optic activity. Increased cochlear electric potential, which represents stored energy, is associated with mechanical translation of the basilar membrane and angular separation of Corti's rods and is effected by "pumping" by the endolymphatic sac and the muscles that act on the auditory ossicles. The semicircular canals function as valves; the utricular and saccular macules form holograms and reflect the energy into the cochlear duct. Incoming acoustic waves excite dipole resonance and stimulate emission of a fraction of the stored energy; further amplification is effected by the hair cells, which, together with the tectorial membrane, behave like a transistor. These findings lead to a new theory of static balance and the action of Corti's organ: the labyrinth functions as a traveling wave maser of which the cochlea is the slow wave structure. Cochlear geometry itself effects resolution of incoming sound pitch. Corti's organ corresponds to the melatopes of the crystal, and the inter-rod angle is critical for any particular frequency, since it is related to dispersion of the optic axes.