Where Is the Cochlea Located?

While the cochlea is technically a bone it plays a vital role in the function of hearing rather than simply being another component of the skeletal system. It is located within the inner ear and is often described as hollow and snail- or spiral-shaped.

Is the cochlea in the middle ear?

The ear is composed of three parts: the outer ear and the middle ear transfer sound waves to the inner ear, or cochlea, which transforms the stimulus into a neural signal.

Where is the cochlea located in the skull?

The cochlea sits below the floor of the middle fossa in the area between and below the labyrinthine segment of the facial nerve and greater petrosal nerve (GPN) and adjacent to the lateral genu of the petrous carotid.