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Updated: May 26, 2026

Selective Tracing of Auditory Fibers in the Avian Embryonic Vestibulocochlear Nerve
Published on: March 18, 2013
Shaping sound in space: the regulation of inner ear patterning
Andrew K Groves1, Donna M Fekete
1Departments of Neuroscience and Molecular and Human Genetics, BCM295, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA. akgroves@bcm.edu
Abstract:
The inner ear is one of the most morphologically elaborate tissues in vertebrates, containing a group of mechanosensitive sensory organs that mediate hearing and balance. These organs are arranged precisely in space and contain intricately patterned sensory epithelia. Here, we review recent studies of inner ear development and patterning which reveal that multiple stages of ear development - ranging from its early induction from the embryonic ectoderm to the establishment of the three cardinal axes and the fine-grained arrangement of sensory cells - are orchestrated by gradients of signaling molecules.
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