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

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.
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...
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 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...
Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location01:21

Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location

The human brain perceives pitch through two primary mechanisms reflected in place theory and frequency theory. Each mechanism describes how sound waves are interpreted as specific pitches by the brain, offering insights into the intricate processes of auditory perception.
Place theory, or place coding, suggests that different pitches are heard because various sound waves activate specific locations along the cochlea's basilar membrane. The brain determines the pitch of a sound by identifying...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Galectin and Myc enable cochlear progenitor expansion in vitro and in vivo.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Dual mechanisms of supporting cell regeneration in the neonatal mouse cochlea.

iScience·2026
Same author

Transcriptomic comparison of avian auditory and vestibular sensory epithelia.

iScience·2025
Same author

Auditory Hair Cell Mechanotransduction Channels Dynamically Shape the Mechanical Properties of Their Membrane Environment.

Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)·2025
Same author

Protocol for vibratome sectioning, immunofluorescence, and S-phase labeling of inner ear organoids.

STAR protocols·2025
Same author

Analysis of miRNAs from Inner Ear Organoid-Derived Extracellular Vesicles.

Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology : JARO·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 23, 2026

A Method to Study Adaptation to Left-Right Reversed Audition
07:14

A Method to Study Adaptation to Left-Right Reversed Audition

Published on: October 29, 2018

Rethinking how hearing happens.

Zhigang Xu1, Anthony J Ricci, Stefan Heller

  • 1Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.

Neuron
|May 19, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Harmonin protein reinforces inner ear tip links, crucial for hearing. Its loss impairs the speed and sensitivity of sound detection by hair cells.

Area of Science:

  • Auditory neuroscience
  • Cell biology
  • Mechanobiology

Background:

  • Inner ear hair cells are vital for hearing, converting mechanical stimuli into electrical signals.
  • Mechanotransduction relies on tip links connecting stereocilia, which transmit force to ion channels.
  • The precise molecular mechanisms reinforcing these structures remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of harmonin in the structural integrity and function of tip links.
  • To elucidate how harmonin influences the mechanical properties of the hair bundle.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized advanced imaging techniques to visualize protein localization.
  • Performed biophysical measurements to assess mechanical forces and kinetics.

More Related Videos

Neuro-rehabilitation Approach for Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss
09:44

Neuro-rehabilitation Approach for Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Published on: January 25, 2016

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

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 23, 2026

A Method to Study Adaptation to Left-Right Reversed Audition
07:14

A Method to Study Adaptation to Left-Right Reversed Audition

Published on: October 29, 2018

Neuro-rehabilitation Approach for Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss
09:44

Neuro-rehabilitation Approach for Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Published on: January 25, 2016

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

  • Investigated genetic models with altered harmonin expression.

    • Main Results:

    • Identified harmonin as a key protein reinforcing the upper insertion sites of tip links.
    • Demonstrated that harmonin deficiency leads to reduced mechanical reinforcement of tip links.
    • Observed diminished mechanotransduction kinetics and sensitivity in harmonin-deficient hair cells.

    Conclusions:

    • Harmonin plays a critical mechanical role in stabilizing tip link attachment points.
    • This stabilization is essential for efficient and sensitive auditory mechanotransduction.
    • Findings provide new insights into the molecular basis of hearing and potential targets for hearing loss therapies.