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Related Concept Videos

The Cochlea01:13

The Cochlea

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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.
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Hair Cells01:22

Hair Cells

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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.
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Anatomy of the Ear01:16

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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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Calmodulin-dependent Signaling01:16

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Calmodulin (CaM) is a calcium-binding protein in eukaryotes that controls various calcium-regulated cellular processes. It has four calcium-binding sites that bind calcium to form the calcium-calmodulin ( Ca2+-CaM) complex. GPCR stimulation increases the calcium levels in the cells that bind to CaM and induces a conformational change.
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Transducer Mechanism: G Protein–Coupled Receptors01:30

Transducer Mechanism: G Protein–Coupled Receptors

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G Protein–Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) are membrane-bound receptors that transiently associate with heterotrimeric G proteins and induce an appropriate response to various stimuli. GPCRs regulate critical physiological pathways and are excellent drug targets for treating diseases such as diabetes, cancer, obesity, depression, or Alzheimer's. Nearly 35% of approved drugs implement their therapeutic effects by selectively interacting with specific GPCRs.
GPCRs are also called heptahelical,...
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Auditory Pathway01:15

Auditory Pathway

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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.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 26, 2026

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

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Oncomodulin, an EF-Hand Ca2+ Buffer, Is Critical for Maintaining Cochlear Function in Mice.

Benton Tong1, Aubrey J Hornak2, Stéphane F Maison3

  • 1Department of Otolaryngology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110.

The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience
|February 5, 2016
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Oncomodulin (Ocm) is vital for adult hearing, not development. Targeted deletion of Ocm in mice causes progressive hearing loss, highlighting its essential role in maintaining cochlear function.

Keywords:
calcium homeostasishearing lossouter hair cellparvalbumin

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Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Neuroscience
  • Otolaryngology

Background:

  • Oncomodulin (Ocm) is a calcium-binding protein found in cochlear outer hair cells.
  • Ocm is localized to regions involved in mechanoelectric transduction and electromotility.
  • Calcium homeostasis is crucial for cochlear hair cell function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of Oncomodulin (Ocm) in cochlear development and function.
  • To determine if Ocm is essential for maintaining hearing in adult mice.

Main Methods:

  • Targeted deletion of the Ocm gene in mice.
  • Assessment of auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) to measure hearing thresholds.
  • Measurement of distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) to evaluate cochlear function.

Main Results:

  • Mice lacking Ocm showed normal hearing at 1 month of age.
  • By 4 months, Ocm-deficient mice exhibited significant hearing loss (70-80 dB ABR threshold shifts).
  • Distortion product otoacoustic emissions were minimal in Ocm-deficient mice by 4 months.

Conclusions:

  • Oncomodulin (Ocm) is not essential for initial cochlear development.
  • Ocm plays a critical role in maintaining hearing function in adult mice.
  • Ocm is a key protective factor against progressive hearing loss in the mature ear.