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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.

Unrenewable Cells

Unrenewable Cells

In humans, the photoreceptor cells of the eye and sensory hair cells of the ear lack stem cells. These cells are thus unrenewable and cannot be replaced when they are damaged or destroyed.
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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...

G-Protein Gated Ion Channels

G-Protein Gated Ion Channels

GPCRs are primarily responsible for our sense of smell, taste, and vision. The binding of a sensory stimulus activates GPCR to stimulate effector proteins, many of which are ion channels in the sensory organs. GPCRs modulate the opening and closing of the target ion channels either directly by binding them, or by releasing second messengers that activate these channels. As ions move across the membrane, the membrane potential is altered, which induces an appropriate response.
Sensory organs,...

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.

Auditory Pathway

Auditory Pathway

Auditory pathways constitute the complex neural circuits responsible for transmitting and interpreting auditory information from the peripheral auditory system to the brain. Sound waves are initially captured by the outer ear, funneled through the ear canal, and reach the tympanic membrane (eardrum). These vibrations are transmitted via the middle ear's ossicles to the inner ear's cochlea.
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking the...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 17, 2026

Dextran Labeling and Uptake in Live and Functional Murine Cochlear Hair Cells

Dextran Labeling and Uptake in Live and Functional Murine Cochlear Hair Cells

Published on: February 8, 2020

Does BAPTA leave outer hair cell transduction channels closed?

P M Sellick¹, D L Kirk, R Patuzzi

¹The Auditory Laboratory, Discipline of Physiology, School of Biomedical, Biomolecular and Chemical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia. psellick@cyllene.uwa.edu.au

Hearing Research

|January 16, 2007

Summary

Reducing calcium in the cochlea with BAPTA lowers cochlear microphonic (CM) and increases endolymphatic potential (EP). This suggests calcium ions are crucial for mechano-electrical transduction in outer hair cells.

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Area of Science:

Oto-neuroscience
Auditory physiology
Cellular electrophysiology

Background:

Calcium ions play a critical role in auditory hair cell function.
The precise mechanism of mechano-electrical transduction in outer hair cells is still under investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of calcium ions in cochlear function.
To explore the effect of calcium reduction on cochlear microphonics and endolymphatic potential.

Main Methods:

Iontophoresis of the calcium chelator BAPTA into the guinea pig cochlea's scala media.
Measurement of cochlear microphonics (CM) and endolymphatic potential (EP) using double-barreled pipettes.
Controlled diffusion of BAPTA in separate experimental series.

Main Results:

BAPTA application significantly reduced low-frequency CM and elevated CAP threshold.
Current passed through BAPTA-filled pipettes caused a sustained increase in EP.
Results confirmed a relationship between EP increase and decreased CM, indicating a causal link.

Conclusions:

Lowering endolymphatic Ca2+ concentration with BAPTA inhibits mechano-electrical transduction in outer hair cells.
This inhibition likely closes transduction channels, increasing outer hair cell resistance and EP.
Findings support a model where stereocilia tension opens hair cell transduction channels.