Hair-like Structures Allow Inner Ear to Communicate with Brain

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine have discovered that the hair cells of the inner ear have a “root” extension that may allow them to communicate with nerve cells and the brain to regulate sensitivity to sound vibrations and head position. Their discovery is reported in the online version of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The hair-like structures located in the inner ear, called stereocilia, are fairly rigid and interlinked at their tops by structures called tip-links. For more information, click here to read the full release.