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Hair Cells

Hair Cells

Hair cells are the sensory receptors of the auditory system—they transduce mechanical sound waves into electrical energy that the nervous system can understand. Hair cells are located in the organ of Corti within the cochlea of the inner ear, between the basilar and tectorial membranes. The actual sensory receptors are called inner hair cells. The outer hair cells serve other functions, such as sound amplification in the cochlea, and are not discussed in detail here.

The Cochlea

The Cochlea

The cochlea is a coiled structure in the inner ear that contains hair cells—the sensory receptors of the auditory system. Sound waves are transmitted to the cochlea by small bones attached to the eardrum called the ossicles, which vibrate the oval window that leads to the inner ear. This causes fluid in the chambers of the cochlea to move, vibrating the basilar membrane.

Feedback Regulation of Calcium Concentration

Feedback Regulation of Calcium Concentration

Calcium is an essential signaling molecule required for various cellular functions. Calcium pumps and ion channels on cell and organellar membranes, such as those on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), regulate calcium concentrations inside the cell. They remain closed, keeping the cytosolic calcium levels low at a resting state.
Various transmembrane receptors, such as G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), elicit a response to extracellular signals by increasing cytosolic calcium. Activated GPCRs...

Calmodulin-dependent Signaling

Calmodulin-dependent Signaling

Calmodulin (CaM) is a calcium-binding protein in eukaryotes that controls various calcium-regulated cellular processes. It has four calcium-binding sites that bind calcium to form the calcium-calmodulin ( Ca2+-CaM) complex. GPCR stimulation increases the calcium levels in the cells that bind to CaM and induces a conformational change.
The Ca2+-CaM complex does not have enzymatic activity by itself. Instead, the complex binds downstream target proteins, including membrane proteins or enzymes,...

Smooth Muscle Contraction

Smooth Muscle Contraction

Smooth muscle contraction is a complex process vital for various bodily functions, from maintaining blood vessel tension to facilitating the movement of food through the digestive tract. Unlike striated muscles, smooth muscle contraction begins more slowly and lasts longer.
The onset of contraction is triggered by an increase in calcium ions within the sarcoplasm, similar to the process in striated muscle. However, smooth muscles have a relatively smaller reservoir of the sarcoplasmic...

Equilibrium and Balance

Equilibrium and Balance

The inner ear assumes dual functionalities of auditory perception and equilibrium maintenance. The vestibule is the organ responsible for balance. This organ contains mechanoreceptors, specifically hair cells, endowed with stereocilia, which aid in deciphering information regarding the position and motion of our heads. Two intrinsic components, the utricle and saccule, help perceive head position, while the semicircular canals track head movement. Neurological messages initiated in the...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Investigating Outer Hair Cell Motility with a Combination of External Alternating Electrical Field Stimulation and High-speed Image Analysis

Investigating Outer Hair Cell Motility with a Combination of External Alternating Electrical Field Stimulation and High-speed Image Analysis

Published on: July 18, 2011

Intracellular calcium and outer hair cell electromotility.

M Szönyi¹, D Z He, O Ribári

¹Auditory Physiology Laboratory, Departments of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Frances Searle Building, Northwestern University, 2299 North Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.

|December 4, 2001

Summary

Increased intracellular calcium enhances outer hair cell (OHC) electromotility, a process dependent on calcium and calmodulin. This finding is crucial for understanding OHC function and hearing.

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Area of Science:

Otoacoustic emissions
Cellular physiology
Biophysics

Background:

Outer hair cells (OHCs) are crucial for hearing.
OHC electromotility is a key mechanism for cochlear amplification.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the influence of intracellular calcium levels on OHC electromotility.
To determine the role of calcium and calmodulin in OHC electromotility.

Main Methods:

Transcellular electrical stimulation in a partitioning microchamber.
Measurement of OHC electromotile activity before and after ionomycin application.
Assessment of the effect of W7 (calmodulin antagonist) on ionomycin-induced changes.

Main Results:

Ionomycin increased OHC electromotility, indicating a role for calcium.
Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), the ionomycin solvent, initially decreased electromotility.
The DMSO-induced decrease was counteracted and reversed by ionomycin.
W7 attenuated the ionomycin-induced increase, suggesting partial calmodulin mediation.

Conclusions:

Increased intracellular calcium enhances OHC electromotility.
The calcium-induced increase in OHC electromotility is partially dependent on calmodulin.
These findings elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying OHC function.