Outer hair cells and Deiter's cells in the cochlea

Inner ear hair cell damage

Hair cells in the cochlea damaged by old age

Outer hair cells damaged by kanamycin

Outer hair cells o the ear

Vestibular hair cells

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Degeneration of outer hair cells in old age. The outer hair cells are responsible for fine tuning and amplifying the sounds that are detected by the inner hair cells. This age-related degeneration of hair cells is responsible for the hearing loss often associated with aging.

Varying degrees of degeneration of the outer (triple row) hair cells in an aging cochlea. The outer hair cells are responsible for fine tuning and amplifying the sounds that are detected by the inner hair cells (single row). This age-related degeneration of hair cells is responsible for the hearing loss often associated with aging.

Immature hair bundle on an inner hair cell in the cochlea.

Developing inner hair cell

Two bundles of aging outer hair cells showing severe degeneration. The outer hair cells are responsible for fine tuning and amplifying the sounds that are detected by the inner hair cells. This age-related degeneration of hair cells is responsible for the hearing loss often associated with aging.

Deiter's cells (front) provide structural support to the organ of Corti in the form of cross bracing. The outer hair cells (centre/back) connect into the back of the concave Deiter's cells (bottom/front) while the rigid, pillar-like support parts of the Deiter's cell (purple) connect to the top of the adjoining hair cell. The rigidity comes from bundles of microfilaments within the pillar.

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Hair cells

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Hair cells in the cochlea damaged by old age

Hair cells in the cochlea damaged by old age

Developing inner hair cell

Hair cells in the cochlea damaged by old age

Outer hair cells and Deiter's cells in the cochlea

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Hair cells

Images

Works

Hair cells in the cochlea damaged by old age

Hair cells in the cochlea damaged by old age

Developing inner hair cell

Hair cells in the cochlea damaged by old age

Outer hair cells and Deiter's cells in the cochlea

Wellcome Collection

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