modiolus

mo·di·o·lus  (m-d-ls)

n. pl. mo·di·o·li (-l)

The central, conical, bony core of the cochlea.

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[Latin, socket, hub, diminutive of modius, a measure of grain, measuring vessel; see med- in Indo-European roots.]

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modiolus [məʊˈdaɪəʊləs mə-]

n pl -li [-ˌlaɪ]

(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Anatomy) the central bony pillar of the cochlea

[New Latin, from Latin: hub of a wheel, from modus a measure]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

modiolus - the central conical bony pillar of the cochlea bone, os - rigid connective tissue that makes up the skeleton of vertebrates cochlea - the snail-shaped tube (in the inner ear coiled around the modiolus) where sound vibrations are converted into nerve impulses by the organ of Corti