Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Anatomy of the Ear01:16

Anatomy of the Ear

Auditory sensation, commonly called hearing, involves the transformation of sonic waves into neural impulses facilitated by the structures of the auditory organ. The prominent, flesh-like structure on the side of the head, called the auricle, directs sound waves towards the auditory canal. The auricle is often mislabeled as the pinna, a term more aligned with mobile structures like a feline's external ear. The auditory canal penetrates the cranium via the external auditory meatus of the...
The Cochlea01:13

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 Pathway01:15

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...
Hearing01:31

Hearing

When we hear a sound, our nervous system is detecting sound waves—pressure waves of mechanical energy traveling through a medium. The frequency of the wave is perceived as pitch, while the amplitude is perceived as loudness.
Hair Cells01:22

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.
Auditory Perception01:17

Auditory Perception

The auditory system is essential for sound perception, utilizing various critical structures. When sound waves enter the outer ear, they travel through the ear canal and cause the eardrum to vibrate. These vibrations are then transmitted to the middle ear, where three tiny bones – the malleus, incus, and stapes – amplify the sound. This amplification is crucial, as it ensures that the sound vibrations are strong enough to be conveyed to the inner ear. These vibrations then reach the cochlea, a...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Auditory perception and neural representation of temporal features are altered by age but not by cochlear synaptopathy.

eLife·2026
Same author

Degeneration of the stria vascularis in quiet-aged gerbils: Linking structural, cellular and molecular changes to cochlear function.

Neurobiology of aging·2025
Same author

Notched noise reveals differential improvement in the neural representation of the sound envelope.

Communications biology·2025
Same author

Comparative approaches to investigate the principles of hearing.

Hearing research·2025
Same author

When dinosaurs hear like barn owls: pitfalls and caveats in assessing hearing in dinosaurs.

Biology letters·2025
Same author

Auditory cellular cooperativity probed via spontaneous otoacoustic emissions.

Biophysical journal·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Simple Surgical Induction of Conductive Hearing Loss with Verification Using Otoscope Visualization and Behavioral Clap Startle Response in Rat
06:27

Simple Surgical Induction of Conductive Hearing Loss with Verification Using Otoscope Visualization and Behavioral Clap Startle Response in Rat

Published on: October 26, 2019

What have lizard ears taught us about auditory physiology?

Geoffrey A Manley1, Christine Köppl

  • 1Lehrstuhl für Zoologie, Technische Universität München, Lichtenbergstrasse 4, 85747 Garching, Germany. geoffrey.manley@wzw.tum.de

Hearing Research
|November 7, 2007
PubMed
Summary

Lizard ears exhibit diverse structures for sensitive hearing, achieving frequency selectivity via micromechanical tuning of hair-cell-tectorial units. This active process, crucial for hearing and otoacoustic emissions, was found to be calcium-sensitive and located in hair cell stereovillar bundles.

More Related Videos

Stereotactically-guided Ablation of the Rat Auditory Cortex, and Localization of the Lesion in the Brain
09:29

Stereotactically-guided Ablation of the Rat Auditory Cortex, and Localization of the Lesion in the Brain

Published on: October 11, 2017

Physiological Preparation of Hair Cells from the Sacculus of the American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)
12:07

Physiological Preparation of Hair Cells from the Sacculus of the American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)

Published on: March 17, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Simple Surgical Induction of Conductive Hearing Loss with Verification Using Otoscope Visualization and Behavioral Clap Startle Response in Rat
06:27

Simple Surgical Induction of Conductive Hearing Loss with Verification Using Otoscope Visualization and Behavioral Clap Startle Response in Rat

Published on: October 26, 2019

Stereotactically-guided Ablation of the Rat Auditory Cortex, and Localization of the Lesion in the Brain
09:29

Stereotactically-guided Ablation of the Rat Auditory Cortex, and Localization of the Lesion in the Brain

Published on: October 11, 2017

Physiological Preparation of Hair Cells from the Sacculus of the American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)
12:07

Physiological Preparation of Hair Cells from the Sacculus of the American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)

Published on: March 17, 2017

Area of Science:

  • Auditory neuroscience
  • Comparative anatomy
  • Bioacoustics

Background:

  • The basilar papilla of lizard inner ears shows remarkable structural diversity among vertebrates.
  • Lizard ears are valuable models for understanding auditory research, particularly the mechanics of sensitive and selective hearing.
  • Previous research highlighted the roles of the tectorial membrane and active processes in auditory function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mechanisms underlying frequency selectivity in lizard ears.
  • To identify the location and nature of the active process involved in auditory sensitivity.
  • To explore the role of micromechanical tuning in the absence of a tuned basilar membrane.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of basilar papilla structures across various lizard species.
  • In vivo studies on lizard auditory systems under laboratory conditions.
  • Micromechanical and physiological measurements of hair-cell-tectorial units and hair bundles.

Main Results:

  • Lizard ears achieve high frequency selectivity through micromechanical tuning of small, resonant hair-cell-tectorial units or free-standing hair bundles.
  • An active process drives these units, which is also responsible for otoacoustic emissions.
  • The study provided the first in vivo evidence that this active process is calcium-sensitive and located within the hair cell stereovillar bundles.

Conclusions:

  • Lizard ears demonstrate a unique strategy for frequency-selective hearing using micromechanical tuning and active processes.
  • The active process in lizard auditory hair cells is calcium-dependent and resides in the stereovillar bundles.
  • These findings offer insights into the fundamental principles of auditory mechanics and active hearing mechanisms across vertebrates.