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Related Concept Videos

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.
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.
Unrenewable Cells00:50

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.
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...
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...
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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Cochlear Surface Preparation in the Adult Mouse
09:51

Cochlear Surface Preparation in the Adult Mouse

Published on: November 6, 2019

The cochlear pericytes.

Xiaorui Shi1, Weijiu Han, Hiroshi Yamamoto

  • 1Oregon Hearing Research Center (NRC04), Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239-3098, USA. shix@ohsu.edu

Microcirculation (New York, N.Y. : 1994)
|December 17, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cochlear pericytes in the lateral wall capillaries are diverse. Their varying protein expression suggests distinct functions in spiral ligament and stria vascularis vessels.

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Last Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Cochlear Surface Preparation in the Adult Mouse
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Published on: November 6, 2019

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06:07

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09:53

A Protocol for Decellularizing Mouse Cochleae for Inner Ear Tissue Engineering

Published on: January 1, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Otolaryngology
  • Vascular Biology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Cochlear pericytes, crucial for microvessel stability and function, remain poorly understood.
  • Characterizing pericyte distribution and protein expression in the cochlear lateral wall is essential for understanding cochlear physiology and pathology.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize the location, distribution, and protein expression of pericytes in the cochlear lateral wall.
  • To investigate pericyte-related proteins involved in structure, contraction, and gap junction transport in cochlear capillaries.

Main Methods:

  • Immunofluorescence labeling of pericyte markers (alpha-SMA, desmin, Thy-1, tropomyosin, NG2).
  • Morphological identification using fluorescence, electron, and differential interference contrast microscopy.

Main Results:

  • Pericytes are abundant in the cochlear lateral wall capillary network, exhibiting significant morphological heterogeneity.
  • Spiral ligament pericytes (V/SL) express connexin 40, alpha-SMA, tropomyosin, and desmin.
  • Stria vascularis pericytes (V/SV) express desmin but lack alpha-SMA and tropomyosin.

Conclusions:

  • The cochlear lateral wall possesses a rich and morphologically diverse pericyte population.
  • Differential protein expression among cochlear pericytes suggests specialized functional roles in microvessel regulation.