Inner ear hair cells. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of sensory hair cells (stereocilia) from the cochlea of the inner ear. These cells a

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Inner ear hair cells. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of sensory hair cells (stereocilia) from the cochlea of the inner ear. These cells are surrounded by a fluid called endolymph. As sound enters the ear it causes waves to form in the endolymph, which in turn cause the hairs to move. The movement is converted to an electrical signal that is passed on to the brain along the auditory nerve. Each crescent-shaped arrangement of hairs lies atop a single cell. Magnification: x3500 when printed at 10 centimetres wide.

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Size: 5200px × 3419px
Photo credit: © STEVE GSCHMEISSNER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: anatomical, anatomy, auditory, biological, biology, body, cell, cells, cilia, cilium, cochlea, coloured, corti, ear, false-colour, false-coloured, hair, hairs, healthy, hearing, human, normal, organ, person, sem, sense, senses, sensing, sensory, sound, stereocilia, stereocilium