The Endocochlear Potential Alters Cochlear Micromechanics

• Published in: Biophysical journal Vol. 100; no. 11; pp. 2586 - 2594
• Main Authors: Jacob, Stefan, Pienkowski, Martin, Fridberger, Anders
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 08.06.2011; Biophysical Society; The Biophysical Society
• Subjects: acoustics; Animals; Biological Systems and Multicellular Dynamics; Biomechanical Phenomena; Biophysics; Cell Movement; Cell Polarity; Cochlea - cytology; Cochlea - physiology; Ears & hearing; electrical properties; Electrophysiological Phenomena; Guinea Pigs; Hair Cells, Auditory, Outer - cytology; hearing; Hearing - physiology; image analysis; ion channels; Mechanical Phenomena; Mechanotransduction, Cellular; Medical imaging; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Membrane Potentials; Membranes; Sound; Sound waves; Vibration

Acoustic stimulation gates mechanically sensitive ion channels in cochlear sensory hair cells. Even in the absence of sound, a fraction of these channels remains open, forming a conductance between hair cells and the adjacent fluid space, scala media. Restoring the lost endogenous polarization of sc...