The auditory system - Hearing - The Organ of Corti, Hair cells and the conversion of mechanical energy into synaptic signalling
3 important questions on The auditory system - Hearing - The Organ of Corti, Hair cells and the conversion of mechanical energy into synaptic signalling
What are the structural components of the Organ of Corti and the mechanical process by which fluid vibrations in the cochlea lead to the physical stretching and compression of tip links?
Structures: organ of Corti (inner hair cells + their attached nerve fibers + the stereocilia on top of inner hair cells and the tip links that connect each bundle of stereocilia).
Tectorial membrane + basilar membrane + Endolymph
From scala vestibular’s perilymph fluid, waves are vibrated into the scala media’s endolymph filled cavity moving the basilar membrane and Organ of Corti against the tectorial membrane. movement of the stereocilia causes stretching and compression of the tip links.
Tectorial membrane + basilar membrane + Endolymph
From scala vestibular’s perilymph fluid, waves are vibrated into the scala media’s endolymph filled cavity moving the basilar membrane and Organ of Corti against the tectorial membrane. movement of the stereocilia causes stretching and compression of the tip links.
How do the mechanical actions of tip links on cation channels, combined with the unique ionic environment of the endolymph, result in the depolarization of auditory hair cells?
Then they pull they open and when they push they close cation channels this is how they cause changes in membrane potential in the hair cell below the stereocilia. Because stereocilia project into K+-rich endolymph, when Tip links pull → open K+ channel → Hair cell depolarization
Following hair cell depolarization, what specific sequence of events involving calcium ions and neurotransmitter release leads to the induction of an action potential in the cochlear branch of the vestibulocochlear nerve (VIII)?
→ Open Ca2+ channels → Ca2+ influx into the cell → Ca2+ induced vesicle release of neurotransmitter (glutamate) → Action potential induction in afferent nerve fiber (cochlear branch of vestibulocochlear nerve (VIII)
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