Studies of the Relationship between the Round Window and Scala Tympani
Recent advances in magnetic resonance (MR) imaging have allowed visualization of the 3-D structure of the round window at the base of scala tympani.
- This figure shows slices through different regions of
the round window. The specimen has been oriented so that the round
window is orthogonal to the plane of slicing. The round window surface
in each slice was tagged yellow, as shown in the lower panels. The
surface area of round window was then quantified for each specimen.
- Scala tympani was tagged red, as shown above. Using
a cross-sectional area algorithm, the base of scala tympani was approximated
as a straight tube. A white line was drawn down the middle of the
tube. The specimen was rotated and resliced vertically, with the
plane of section across the scala, as shown by the blue lines in panel
C.
- Selected representative sections of the vertical reslice
are shown above for one guinea pig cochlea. Each section shows an
area of scala tympani in contact with a corresponding area of the round
window membrane. The numeric data derived from this analysis are
used in models simulating the cochlear fluids.
These data are to be published in the near future and will be summarized on this page after publication.
Movies Showing 3-D Structures
- The 3-D geometry of the relationship between the round
window, the scala tympani, and their surrounding structures is often not
appreciated from conventional histological sections. The following
movies illustrate these structural relationships.
Movies require Quicktime 4 plug-in - Click here to install/upgrade
Round Window relationship to Scala Tympani
All Structures
View 1.0 MB Quicktime Movie
Round Window and Scala Tympani only
View 49 KB Quicktime Movie
Round Window only
View 100 KB Quicktime Movie
Note that the round window membrane is not exacly round in shape, rather it is shaped more like a popular American potato chip - The Pringle.