Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 11, 2026

In Ovo and Ex Ovo Methods to Study Avian Inner Ear Development
Published on: June 16, 2022
Hair cell regeneration: an exciting phenomenon...but will restoring hearing and balance be possible?
Jonathan I Matsui1, Brenda M Ryals
1Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. jmatsui@fas.harvard.edu
Abstract:
Sensory hair cells of the inner ear are susceptible to damage from a variety of sources including aging, genetic defects, and environmental stresses such as loud noises or chemotherapeutic drugs. Unfortunately, the consequence of this damage in humans is often permanent hearing/balance problems. The discovery that hair cells can regenerate in birds and other nonmammalian vertebrates has fueled a wide range of studies that are designed to find ways of restoring hearing and balance after such damage. In this review, we will discuss some of the key recent findings in sensory hair cell regeneration and what they mean for audiologists and other hearing healthcare practitioners.
Related Concept Videos
Unrenewable Cells
Photoreceptors
The retina is composed of several layers and contains specialized cells called photoreceptors. The photoreceptors (rods and cones) change their membrane potential when stimulated by light energy. There are two types of photoreceptors—rods and cones—which differ in the shape of their outer...
Hair Cells
The Cochlea
Auditory Pathway
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking the...
Anatomy of the Ear
Whole Body Regeneration

