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In the inner ear, stereocilia are the mechanosensing organelles of hair cells, which respond to fluid motion in numerous types of animals for various functions, including hearing and balance. They are about 10–50 micrometers in length and share some similar features of microvilli . [ 1 ]
Stereocilia (or stereovilli or villi) are non-motile apical cell modifications. They are distinct from cilia and microvilli , but are closely related to microvilli. They form single "finger-like" projections that may be branched, with normal cell membrane characteristics.
The cochlea, dedicated to hearing; converting sound pressure patterns from the outer ear into electrochemical impulses which are passed on to the brain via the auditory nerve. The vestibular system, dedicated to balance. The inner ear is found in all vertebrates, with substantial variations in form and function.
Microvilli (sg.: microvillus) are microscopic cellular membrane protrusions that increase the surface area for diffusion and minimize any increase in volume, [1] and are involved in a wide variety of functions, including absorption, secretion, cellular adhesion, and mechanotransduction.
Each hair cell of a macula has 40 to 70 stereocilia and one true cilium called a kinocilium. The stereocilia are oriented by the striola, a curved ridge that runs through the middle of the macula; in the saccule they are oriented away from the striola [2] The tips of the stereocilia and kinocilium are embedded in a gelatinous otolithic membrane ...
The stereocilia in a hair bundle are arranged in multiple rows of different heights. In addition to the stereocilia, a true ciliary structure known as the kinocilium exists and is believed to play a role in hair cell degeneration that is caused by exposure to high frequencies.
Contrasting with stereocilia, which are numerous, there is only one kinocilium on each hair cell. The kinocilium can be identified by its apical position as well as its enlarged tip. [1] Together with stereocilia, the kinocilium regulates depolarization and hyperpolarization of the hair cell, which is a neuron that can generate action ...
The hair bundle is composed of stiff microvilli called stereocilia and is involved with mechanoreception of sound waves. Stereocilia cells generate an electrical response to the vibrations of sound waves, crucial for normal hearing. This gene is part of a tandem duplication on chromosome 15; the second copy is a pseudogene.