Firm molecular handshake needed for hearing and balance

Wednesday, November 7, 2012 - 14:41 in Biology & Nature

Researchers have mapped the precise 3-D atomic structure of a thin protein filament critical for cells in the inner ear and calculated the force necessary to pull it apart. These findings show the characteristics of the most vulnerable area of a structure called the tip link, and open avenues for research in fields related to noise-induced hearing loss and certain genetic diseases.

Read the whole article on Science Daily

More from Science Daily

Latest Science Newsletter

Get the latest and most popular science news articles of the week in your Inbox! It's free!

Check out our next project, Biology.Net