Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of outer hair cells from the organ of Corti in the cochlear of the human inner ear. Each V-shaped arrangem

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Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of outer hair cells from the organ of Corti in the cochlear of the human inner ear. Each V-shaped arrangement of hairs (stereocilia, grey) lies on the top of a single cell. The hairs are surrounded by endolymph fluid. As sound enters the ear, it causes waves to form in the endolymph, which in turn causes these hairs to move. Outer hair cells amplify the vibrations, which are then picked up by inner hair cells that transmit the signal to auditory nerve fibres. This amplification enhances the sensitivity and dynamic range of hearing. Width of horizontal field of view is 15 micometers.

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Size: 3748px × 4971px
Photo credit: © PROFESSOR TONY WRIGHT, INSTITUTE OF LARYNGOLOGY & OTOLOGY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: -, anatomical, anatomy, auditory, aural, biological, biology, body, bundle, cell, cochlear, coloured, corti, ear, electro-mechanical, false-coloured, hair, hairs, healthy, hearing, human, mammal, mammalian, mechanosensitive, normal, organ, outer, sem, sense, sensory, sound, stereocilia, stereocilium, transduction