Inner Hair Cells & Sensory Transduction

A collection of vocabulary flashcards focused on key concepts related to inner hair cells and sensory transduction in the auditory system.

Mechano-electrical transduction (MET)

The process by which hair cells convert mechanical signals from sound waves into electrical signals.

Inner Hair Cells (IHC)

Specialized cells in the cochlea that release glutamate to inform the brain of sound stimuli.

Afferent innervation

The sensory nerve fibers that carry signals from the inner hair cells to the brain.

Ribbon synapses

Specialized synapses in inner hair cells that allow for high temporal precision in neurotransmitter release.

Tip links

Protein filaments that connect stereocilia and gate ion channels involved in mechano-electrical transduction.

Glutamate

The neurotransmitter released by inner hair cells to communicate with auditory nerve fibers.

Basilar membrane (BM) deflection

Movement of the BM that generates shear forces on the hair bundle leading to hair cell activation.

Cochlear implant

A device that electrically stimulates the auditory nerve fibers to provide hearing in the absence of functional inner hair cells.

Tonotopic maps

Organized representation in the auditory system where different frequencies are processed in specific brain areas.

Stereocilia

Hair-like projections on hair cells that play a crucial role in mechano-electrical transduction.