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 Concept Videos

The Cochlea01:13

The Cochlea

52.7K
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.
52.7K
Hair Cells01:22

Hair Cells

46.8K
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.
46.8K
Auditory Pathway01:15

Auditory Pathway

9.0K
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...
9.0K
Neural Circuits01:25

Neural Circuits

3.3K
Neural circuits and neuronal pools are two of the main structures found in the nervous system. Neural circuits are networks of neurons that work together to carry out a specific task or process. They consist of interconnected neurons and glial cells, which provide structural and metabolic support.
Neuronal pools are collections of nerve cells with similar functions and interact through chemical and electrical signals. These pools include both interneurons (the central neural circuit nodes that...
3.3K
Electrical Synapses01:28

Electrical Synapses

12.0K
Electrical synapses found in all nervous systems play important and unique roles. In these synapses, the presynaptic and postsynaptic membranes are very close together (3.5 nm) and are actually physically connected by channel proteins forming gap junctions.
Gap junctions allow the current to pass directly from one cell to the next. In contrast, in the chemical synapse, the neurotransmitters carry the information through the synaptic cleft from one neuron to the next. They consist of two...
12.0K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Membrane scaffolding in auditory hair cells - a molecular tightrope walk enables lateral wall stiffness and flexibility.

Hearing research·2026
Same author

Persistence of vestibular function in the absence of glutamatergic transmission from hair cells.

Scientific reports·2026
Same author

Result harmonization in medical laboratories: accomplishments and challenges.

Clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine·2026
Same author

Persistence of vestibular function in the absence of glutamatergic transmission from hair cells.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

Newly identified oncolytic VSV-GP-specific CD8<sup>+</sup> T cell epitopes for monitoring of anti-viral immune responses in the BALB/c mouse model.

Molecular therapy. Oncology·2025
Same author

Is <i>CABP2</i>-Associated Hearing Loss (DFNB93) a Gene Therapy Target? Preclinical Progress and Patient Registry.

MedComm·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 9, 2026

Morphological and Functional Evaluation of Ribbon Synapses at Specific Frequency Regions of the Mouse Cochlea
09:54

Morphological and Functional Evaluation of Ribbon Synapses at Specific Frequency Regions of the Mouse Cochlea

Published on: May 10, 2019

12.9K

Patterned pre-sensory spontaneous activity drives the structural refinement of developing cochlear ribbon synapses.

Victoria C Halim1,2, Lukas Hallbrucker1, Jan F Ahrend1,3

  • 1Auditory Neuroscience Group, Institute of Physiology, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.

Frontiers in Synaptic Neuroscience
|April 8, 2026
PubMed
Summary

Pre-hearing spontaneous activity shapes inner hair cell synapses. Activity patterns fine-tune ribbon synapse structure, crucial for auditory system development and hearing onset.

Keywords:
activity manipulationauditory system developmentoptical stimulation deviceoptogeneticssensory synapsessynapse maturation

More Related Videos

Postsynaptic Recordings at Afferent Dendrites Contacting Cochlear Inner Hair Cells: Monitoring Multivesicular Release at a Ribbon Synapse
11:45

Postsynaptic Recordings at Afferent Dendrites Contacting Cochlear Inner Hair Cells: Monitoring Multivesicular Release at a Ribbon Synapse

Published on: February 10, 2011

19.2K
Immunolabeling and Counting Ribbon Synapses in Young Adult and Aged Gerbil Cochleae
08:25

Immunolabeling and Counting Ribbon Synapses in Young Adult and Aged Gerbil Cochleae

Published on: April 21, 2022

3.0K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 9, 2026

Morphological and Functional Evaluation of Ribbon Synapses at Specific Frequency Regions of the Mouse Cochlea
09:54

Morphological and Functional Evaluation of Ribbon Synapses at Specific Frequency Regions of the Mouse Cochlea

Published on: May 10, 2019

12.9K
Postsynaptic Recordings at Afferent Dendrites Contacting Cochlear Inner Hair Cells: Monitoring Multivesicular Release at a Ribbon Synapse
11:45

Postsynaptic Recordings at Afferent Dendrites Contacting Cochlear Inner Hair Cells: Monitoring Multivesicular Release at a Ribbon Synapse

Published on: February 10, 2011

19.2K
Immunolabeling and Counting Ribbon Synapses in Young Adult and Aged Gerbil Cochleae
08:25

Immunolabeling and Counting Ribbon Synapses in Young Adult and Aged Gerbil Cochleae

Published on: April 21, 2022

3.0K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Auditory System Development
  • Synaptic Plasticity

Background:

  • Hearing relies on ribbon synapses between inner hair cells (IHCs) and spiral ganglion neurons.
  • Synaptic refinement occurs during postnatal maturation before hearing onset.
  • The role of spontaneous activity in IHC presynaptic refinement is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate activity-dependent structural plasticity at cochlear ribbon synapses.
  • Determine the influence of pre-sensory activity on IHC synapse development.

Main Methods:

  • Combined genetic, pharmacological, and optogenetic techniques.
  • Utilized immunohistochemistry and electrophysiology.
  • Developed a novel optical stimulation device (OSD) for precise IHC activation.

Main Results:

  • Both positive and negative activity modulation induced homeostatic scaling of ribbon synapse morphology.
  • Temporal patterns of presynaptic activity are critical regulators of synapse structure.
  • Activity-dependent structural changes occur rapidly.

Conclusions:

  • Pre-sensory synaptic activity is essential for shaping cochlear ribbon synapse architecture.
  • Activity patterns play a fundamental role in auditory system development prior to hearing.
  • This study clarifies the role of spontaneous activity in IHC synapse maturation.