The sensory cells of the inner ear have tiny hairs called
stereocilia that play a critical part in hearing. It has long been known that
these stereocilia move sideways back and forth in a wave-like motion when
stimulated by a sound wave. After having designed a microscope to observe these
movements, a research team in Sweden has discovered that the hairs not only
move sideways but also change in length.
The discovery, which was made in collaboration with
scientists at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas, USA provides new fundamental
knowledge about the mechanisms of hearing. It is presented in the online
scientific journal Nature Communications.