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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.
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...
Equilibrium and Balance01:15

Equilibrium and Balance

The inner ear assumes dual functionalities of auditory perception and equilibrium maintenance. The vestibule is the organ responsible for balance. This organ contains mechanoreceptors, specifically hair cells, endowed with stereocilia, which aid in deciphering information regarding the position and motion of our heads. Two intrinsic components, the utricle and saccule, help perceive head position, while the semicircular canals track head movement. Neurological messages initiated in the...
The Vestibular System01:29

The Vestibular System

The vestibular system is a set of inner ear structures that provide a sense of balance and spatial orientation. This system is comprised of structures within the labyrinth of the inner ear, including the cochlea and two otolith organs—the utricle and saccule. The labyrinth also contains three semicircular canals—superior, posterior, and horizontal—that are oriented on different planes.

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Increased head-turning, hyperactivity and low-penetrance circling behaviour in mice lacking ZPLD1, a protein that scaffolds the cupula to the roof of the ampulla.

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The <i>TECTB-C225Y</i> Variant Causing Autosomal Dominant Deafness in a Nicaraguan Family Enhances Sensitivity to Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in Mice.

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Taperin bundles F-actin at stereocilia pivot points enabling optimal lifelong mechanosensitivity.

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Author Correction: Sharpened cochlear tuning in a mouse with a genetically modified tectorial membrane.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Dextran Labeling and Uptake in Live and Functional Murine Cochlear Hair Cells
05:55

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

Published on: February 8, 2020

Multiple roles for the tectorial membrane in the active cochlea.

Andrei N Lukashkin1, Guy P Richardson, Ian J Russell

  • 1School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9QG, UK. A.Lukashkin@sussex.ac.uk <A.Lukashkin@sussex.ac.uk>

Hearing Research
|October 27, 2009
PubMed
Summary

The tectorial membrane plays multiple roles in the mammalian cochlea

Area of Science:

  • Auditory Neuroscience
  • Bioengineering
  • Mechanobiology

Background:

  • The cochlea performs active signal processing for hearing.
  • The tectorial membrane's mechanical function is crucial for auditory transduction.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review experimental findings on the tectorial membrane's roles in the mammalian cochlea.
  • To elucidate the tectorial membrane's contribution to active signal processing and hair-cell excitation.

Main Methods:

  • Review of experimental results.
  • Analysis of the tectorial membrane's dynamic mechanical properties.
  • Examination of energy distribution along the cochlear partition.

Main Results:

  • The tectorial membrane acts as a multi-degree-of-freedom mechanical system.

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Evaluation of Planar-Cell-Polarity Phenotypes in Ciliopathy Mouse Mutant Cochlea
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Evaluation of Planar-Cell-Polarity Phenotypes in Ciliopathy Mouse Mutant Cochlea

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Whole Mount Dissection and Immunofluorescence of the Adult Mouse Cochlea
12:02

Whole Mount Dissection and Immunofluorescence of the Adult Mouse Cochlea

Published on: January 1, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Dextran Labeling and Uptake in Live and Functional Murine Cochlear Hair Cells
05:55

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

Published on: February 8, 2020

Evaluation of Planar-Cell-Polarity Phenotypes in Ciliopathy Mouse Mutant Cochlea
07:07

Evaluation of Planar-Cell-Polarity Phenotypes in Ciliopathy Mouse Mutant Cochlea

Published on: February 21, 2016

Whole Mount Dissection and Immunofluorescence of the Adult Mouse Cochlea
12:02

Whole Mount Dissection and Immunofluorescence of the Adult Mouse Cochlea

Published on: January 1, 2016

  • Its various movement modes contribute to hair-cell excitation.
  • It distributes and channels energy to inner hair cells.

    • Conclusions:

    • The tectorial membrane is integral to active signal processing in the cochlea.
    • Understanding its mechanics is key to comprehending auditory transduction.
    • It plays a vital role in transmitting mechanical energy for hearing.