In the depths of your inner ear lies one of biology’s most intricate sound systems. A new discovery reveals that the cochlea — the spiral-shaped organ that turns sound into electrical signals — is ...

The function of the outer hair cell in hearing is now perceived as that of a cochlear amplifier that refines the sensitivity and frequency selectivity of the mechanical vibrations of the cochlea.

Identify the symptoms and causes of tinnitus, a ringing in the ears. Find information on diagnosis, treatment options, and ...

Sahana is a science journalist and an intern at The Scientist, with a background in neuroscience and microbiology. She has previously written for Live Science, Massive Science, and eLife. View Full ...

Top: Rows of healthy sensory hair cells in the mouse inner ear with green stereocilia arcs. Middle: In Rest mutant mice, hair cells are disorganized, and stereocilia barely visible. Bottom ...

The cochlea uses sensory hair cells to detect sound waves in the air, then converts them into electrical signals that the ...

The inner hair cells are arranged in a single row and remain free to respond to movement of endolymph in the cochlear duct. The outer hair cells are arranged in 3 rows in the basal coil of the ...

The nerve is made up of the neuronal projections that connect the hair cells with the brain and is called the eighth nerve because it is one of 12 nerves that come off the brain in the skull. The ...

The cochlea is a spiral-shaped cavity filled with fluid containing the critical hearing cells. The primary hearing cells are the hair cells, which convert sound waves into electrical signals, and the ...

University of Utah and Baylor College of Medicine researchers found evidence that stereocilia -- bundles of tiny hair-like tubes atop "hair cells" in the cochlea -- dance back and forth to ...

Aging Health. 2012;8(2):107-109. Of special concern when considering hearing in aging is the loss of hair cells located on the basilar membrane in the cochlea in the inner ear: some 12,000 ...

While earlier models captured much of how hair cells amplify sound, these new findings expand the understanding of how the cochlea stays stable while remaining sensitive to tiny vibrations.