A Latin or anatomical term referring to the cochlea, the spiral-shaped part of the inner ear responsible for hearing.
From Latin 'cochlea' (a snail, or spiral shape), referring to the snail-like spiral structure. The term entered English anatomy through Latinized medical terminology in the 16th-17th centuries.
Your ear's hearing part is literally named after a snail because it looks like a snail shell—anatomy teachers love showing students that!
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