Organ of Corti and tectorial membrane (400X)

As you increase the magnification, you can see the different structures of the inner ear more clearly. The way the cochlea converts sound into nerve signals is complex. These pages are not supposed to be a book of physiology, but the way it works is somewhat like this: the tectorial membrane (lat: membrana tectoria) sways from side to side when stimulated by sound waves and hit the hair cells which transmits signals to the brain which interprets these signals as sound. This is a very simplified version of how it works. Please read your physiology book for full explanation.