The structure responsible for converting mechanical vibrations into electrical signals in the auditory system is called?

Hair cells are specialized sensory cells located in the cochlea of the inner ear that play a critical role in the auditory system. When sound waves enter the ear, they create mechanical vibrations that travel through the structures of the ear. These vibrations ultimately reach the hair cells, which are situated on the basilar membrane.

The mechanical energy from the sound waves causes the hair cells to bend. This bending opens ion channels in the cell membrane, leading to a change in the electrical potential of the hair cells. This process converts the mechanical vibrations into electrical signals. These electrical signals are then transmitted to the brain via sensory neurons, allowing the perception of sound.

The other options, while related to the auditory system, do not perform this specific function of converting mechanical vibrations into electrical signals. Sensory neurons transmit the electrical signals, the auditory cortex is involved in processing these signals once they reach the brain, and cochlear canals are structures within the inner ear that help with the mechanics of hearing but do not directly convert vibrations to electrical signals. Thus, hair cells are the primary structures responsible for initiating the sensory process that leads to hearing.