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Cross-links between stereocilia in the human organ of Corti

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2007

Peter H. Rhys Evans ,
Spiro D. Comis ,
Michael P. Osborne ,
James O. Pickles  and
David J. R. Jeffries
Peter H. Rhys Evans*
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham.
Spiro D. Comis
Affiliation:
Department of Physiology, University of Birmingham.
Michael P. Osborne
Affiliation:
Department of Physiology, University of Birmingham.
James O. Pickles
Affiliation:
Department of Physiology, University of Birmingham.
David J. R. Jeffries
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham.
*
Mr. P. H. Rhys Evens, Department of Otolaryngology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TH.
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Abstract

Human cochleae were fixed in glutaraldehyde, without the use of osmium. Crosslinks were seen between the stereocilia, similar to those we have previously reported for the guinea pig: first, stereocilia of the same row on each hair cell were joined by horizontally-running links; secondly, the shorter stereocilia had pointed tips, each giving rise to a single, vertically-pointing link, which ran upwards to join the adjacent taller stereocilium of the next row. We suggest that distortion of this link is involved in sensory transduction. The links were sparser than had been seen in the guinea pig which may be a reflection of the vulnerability of the links to nonoptimal fixation, and the greater difficulty in producing good fixation in human specimens.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 99 , Issue 1 , January 1985 , pp. 11 - 20
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 1985

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References

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