What describes the role of cilia in the cochlea?

The role of cilia in the cochlea is crucial as they are responsible for converting sound waves into signals that the brain can understand. These tiny hair-like structures reside on the top of hair cells within the cochlear structure. When sound waves penetrate the inner ear, they cause the fluid within the cochlea to move. This movement then causes the cilia to bend. The bending of cilia creates mechanical changes that lead to the generation of electrical signals. These electrical impulses are then transmitted to the auditory nerve and ultimately to the brain, where they are interpreted as sound.

While protecting the ear from damage, transmitting sound to the brain, and regulating balance are important functions related to hearing and the inner ear, they do not accurately capture the specific role of cilia in the cochlea. Cilia are not involved in protecting the ear, nor do they directly transmit sound. Instead, their primary function is the transduction of mechanical sound stimuli into neural signals, making option C the most accurate description of their role.