Cochlea: forms and philosophy.

The relationship between the general form of the cochlea and its function is difficult to study. The logarithmic nature of the spiroid can be deduced from embryologic data and the development of the cochlea around a nervous system. The propagation of sound has been studied through linear models. Experiments in fluid mechanics show that the parameters of viscosity and surface tension can modify the surface pattern. These data could permit the conception of 3D-models to explain cochlear cybernetics uniting maximal efficiency with a minimal volume.