New findings on the workings of the inner ear
Tuesday, October 2, 2012 - 17:12
in Physics & Chemistry
The sensory cells of the inner ear have tiny hairs called stereocilia that play a critical part in hearing. It has long been known that these stereocilia move sideways back and forth in a wave-like motion when stimulated by a sound wave. After having designed a microscope to observe these movements, a research team in Sweden has discovered that the hairs not only move sideways but also change in length.