Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

The Cochlea

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 Cells

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.

Hearing

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.

Anatomy of the Ear

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...

Convergent Evolution

Convergent Evolution

Evolution shapes the features of organisms over time, ensuring that they are suited for the environments in which they live. Sometimes, selection pressure leads to the rise of similar but unrelated adaptations in organisms with no recent common ancestors, a process known as convergent evolution.

Auditory Pathway

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Surprising cryptic cavefish diversity in a long-studied karst cave ecosystem of northern Alabama.

Scientific reports·2026

Same author

Ancient climate changes and relaxed selection shape cave colonization in North American cavefishes.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2025

Same author

Phylogenomics and biogeography of North American trechine cave beetles (Coleoptera:Carabidae) inferred from ultraconserved elements.

Evolution; international journal of organic evolution·2025

Same author

The complete genome sequences of 12 species of Percopsiformes.

Biodiversity genomes·2025

Same author

Acoustic playback is better than food to trap one of the worst invasive fishes.

Journal of environmental management·2024

Same author

Responses to sound in three Centrarchid species: Do heterospecific interactions change behavior?

Journal of fish biology·2024

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 31, 2026

Patch Clamp Recordings in Inner Ear Hair Cells Isolated from Zebrafish

Patch Clamp Recordings in Inner Ear Hair Cells Isolated from Zebrafish

Published on: October 17, 2012

Hearing in Cavefishes.

Daphne Soares¹, Matthew L Niemiller², Dennis M Higgs³

¹Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, 07102, USA. soares@NJIT.edu.

Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology

|October 31, 2015

Summary

Cavefish hearing shows varied adaptations. Some species retain normal hearing, while others, like amblyopsids, have reduced hearing ranges and fewer sensory cells, compensating for the lack of vision in subterranean environments.

Keywords:

Acoustic Auditory Evolution Fish Subterranean

More Related Videos

Behavioral Tracking and Neuromast Imaging of Mexican Cavefish

Behavioral Tracking and Neuromast Imaging of Mexican Cavefish

Published on: April 6, 2019

In Vivo Calcium Imaging of Lateral-line Hair Cells in Larval Zebrafish

In Vivo Calcium Imaging of Lateral-line Hair Cells in Larval Zebrafish

Published on: November 28, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 31, 2026

Patch Clamp Recordings in Inner Ear Hair Cells Isolated from Zebrafish

Patch Clamp Recordings in Inner Ear Hair Cells Isolated from Zebrafish

Published on: October 17, 2012

Behavioral Tracking and Neuromast Imaging of Mexican Cavefish

Behavioral Tracking and Neuromast Imaging of Mexican Cavefish

Published on: April 6, 2019

In Vivo Calcium Imaging of Lateral-line Hair Cells in Larval Zebrafish

In Vivo Calcium Imaging of Lateral-line Hair Cells in Larval Zebrafish

Published on: November 28, 2018

Area of Science:

Sensory biology
Evolutionary biology
Subterranean ecology

Background:

Caves are extreme environments with over 170 fish species (stygobionts) adapted to darkness.
Cavefish exhibit troglomorphy, including eye degeneration and reduced pigmentation.
Non-visual senses are crucial for cavefish survival and adaptation.

Purpose of the Study:

To review current knowledge on hearing in cavefish.
To highlight research on amblyopsid cavefish hearing.
To suggest future research directions in cavefish bioacoustics.

Main Methods:

Review of existing literature on cavefish hearing.
Focus on studies investigating hearing abilities in four cavefish species.
Analysis of sensory receptor densities in amblyopsid cavefish.

Main Results:

Hearing ability varies among cavefish species.
Two species show no hearing difference from surface relatives.
Amblyopsid cavefish exhibit reduced hearing range and hair cell density.

Conclusions:

Cavefish hearing adaptations are diverse.
Amblyopsid cavefish display sensory compensation for vision loss.
Further research is needed to fully understand cavefish bioacoustics.