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 Experiment Videos

Electrokinetic shape changes of cochlear outer hair cells.

B Kachar, W E Brownell, R Altschuler

    Nature
    |July 24, 1986
    PubMed
    Summary

    Electrically stimulated outer hair cells (OHCs) exhibit mechanical changes, suggesting electrokinetic phenomena. These findings offer insights into the micromechanical properties of the mammalian cochlea and hearing.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

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

    Sort by
    Same author

    Lateral Diffusion Anisotropy and Membrane Lipid/Skeleton Interaction in Outer Hair Cells.

    Biophysical journal·2018
    Same author

    Self-organization of waves and pulse trains by molecular motors in cellular protrusions.

    Scientific reports·2015
    Same author

    Inner ear tissue preservation by rapid freezing: improving fixation by high-pressure freezing and hybrid methods.

    Hearing research·2014
    Same author

    The remarkable cochlear amplifier.

    Hearing research·2010
    Same author

    Membrane Electromechanics in Biology, with a Focus on Hearing.

    MRS bulletin·2010
    Same author

    Cochlear disorder associated with melanocyte anomaly in mice with a transgenic insertional mutation.

    Molecular and cellular neurosciences·2009

    Area of Science:

    • Auditory Neuroscience
    • Cellular Biophysics
    • Mechanobiology

    Background:

    • Non-muscle excitable cells exhibit mechanical changes linked to electrical activity.
    • Cochlear hair cells, particularly outer hair cells (OHCs), are known mechanosensitive cells involved in hearing.
    • OHCs may modulate cochlear micromechanical properties via feedback mechanisms.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate electrically evoked mechanical changes in isolated mammalian cochlear outer hair cells (OHCs).
    • To determine if direct electrokinetic phenomena contribute to OHC mechanical responses.
    • To explore the relationship between electrical stimulation and OHC mechanical behavior.

    Main Methods:

    • Isolated OHCs were subjected to sinusoidally modulated electrical potentials.
    • Cellular elongation, shortening, and intracellular organelle displacement were measured.
    • Experiments were conducted under varying ionic concentrations and in the presence of metabolic uncouplers.

    Main Results:

    • Electrically evoked mechanical changes, including oscillatory movements, were observed in isolated OHCs.
    • The magnitude and direction of cellular movements depended on the electrical field's strength and polarity.
    • Mechanical responses were inversely related to medium ionic concentration and persisted despite metabolic uncoupling.

    Conclusions:

    • The observed OHC mechanical changes are consistent with direct electrokinetic phenomena, such as electro-osmosis.
    • The cylindrical OHC shape and internal laminated cisternae may provide the anatomical basis for these electrokinetic effects.
    • These findings contribute to understanding the biophysical mechanisms underlying OHC function in hearing.

    Related Experiment Videos