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Related Concept Videos

Hair Cells01:22

Hair Cells

40.0K
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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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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Anatomy of the Ear01:16

Anatomy of the Ear

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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...
7.2K
Auditory Pathway01:15

Auditory Pathway

4.6K
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...
4.6K
Equilibrium and Balance01:15

Equilibrium and Balance

4.4K
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...
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Unrenewable Cells00:50

Unrenewable Cells

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In humans, the photoreceptor cells of the eye and sensory hair cells of the ear lack stem cells. These cells are thus unrenewable and cannot be replaced when they are damaged or destroyed.
Photoreceptors
The retina is composed of several layers and contains specialized cells called photoreceptors. The photoreceptors (rods and cones) change their membrane potential when stimulated by light energy. There are two types of photoreceptors—rods and cones—which differ in the shape of...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 2, 2025

Investigating Outer Hair Cell Motility with a Combination of External Alternating Electrical Field Stimulation and High-speed Image Analysis
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Investigating Outer Hair Cell Motility with a Combination of External Alternating Electrical Field Stimulation and High-speed Image Analysis

Published on: July 18, 2011

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Outer hair cells stir cochlear fluids.

Choongheon Lee1,2, Mohammad Shokrian2, Kenneth S Henry1,3,4

  • 1Department of Otolaryngology, University of Rochester, Rochester, United States.

Elife
|January 16, 2025
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Active outer hair cells propel cochlear fluid circulation, aiding drug delivery. This process, crucial for hearing, involves outer hair cell motility and fluid dynamics within the cochlea.

Keywords:
cochleadrug deliverygerbilkainic acidneuroscienceorgan of Cortiouter hair cell

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Area of Science:

  • Auditory Neuroscience
  • Fluid Dynamics
  • Cellular Biology

Background:

  • Outer hair cells (OHCs) are critical for hearing, but their role in cochlear fluid dynamics is not fully understood.
  • Cochlear fluid circulation is essential for nutrient transport and waste removal within the inner ear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the hypothesis that active outer hair cells drive cochlear fluid circulation.
  • To determine the influence of sound stimulation and OHC motility on drug delivery within the cochlea.

Main Methods:

  • Neurotoxin (kainic acid) delivery to gerbil cochleae via the round window.
  • Monitoring auditory responses in the cochlear nucleus.
  • Utilizing computational modeling incorporating fluid dynamics, solute diffusion, and OHC motility.

Main Results:

  • Sound stimulation significantly accelerated kainic acid delivery.
  • Salicylate-induced suppression of OHC motility compromised this facilitation effect.
  • Low-frequency tones were more effective for apical drug delivery compared to broadband noise.

Conclusions:

  • Active outer hair cells deform the organ of Corti, generating fluid flows along the cochlear structures.
  • OHC motility is a key driver of cochlear fluid circulation, impacting drug delivery and potentially other physiological processes.