Claudius cells are considered as supporting cells within the
organ of Corti
The organ of Corti, or spiral organ, is the receptor organ for hearing and is located in the mammalian cochlea. This highly varied strip of epithelial cells allows for transduction of auditory signals into nerve impulses' action potential. Trans ...
in the
cochlea
The cochlea is the part of the inner ear involved in hearing. It is a spiral-shaped cavity in the bony labyrinth, in humans making 2.75 turns around its axis, the modiolus (cochlea), modiolus. A core component of the cochlea is the organ of Cort ...
. These cells extend from
Hensen's cells to the spiral prominence epithelium, forming the outer sulcus. They are in direct contact with the
endolymph
Endolymph is the fluid contained in the membranous labyrinth of the inner ear. The major cation in endolymph is potassium, with the values of sodium and potassium concentration in the endolymph being 0.91 mM and 154 mM, respectively. ...
of the
cochlear duct Cochlear, the adjective form of cochlea, may refer to:
* Cochlear implant, a sensory aid for the deaf
* Cochlear nuclei, the ventral cochlear nucleus and the dorsal (or lateral) cochlear nucleus
* Vestibular-cochlear or Vestibulocochlear nerve, ...
. These cells are sealed via
tight junctions
Tight junctions, also known as occluding junctions or ''zonulae occludentes'' (singular, ''zonula occludens''), are multiprotein junctional complexes between epithelial cells, sealing and preventing leakage of solutes and water. They also play a ...
that prevent flow of endolymph between them.
Boettcher cells are located immediately under Claudius cells
in the lower turn of the cochlea.
Claudius cells are named after German anatomist,
Friedrich Matthias Claudius (1822–1869).
References
{{Auditory_and_vestibular anatomy
Auditory system