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New Ear-a
31 July 2013

New Ear-a

Inside our ears lies a very sophisticated system, responsible not only for our hearing but also for detecting motion and keeping our balance. To do this, the cells of the inner ear use sensory hairs, or stereocilia, which bend in response to vibrations, triggering a cascade of events to send a signal to the brain. Researchers have recently managed to generate these sensory cells from mouse embryonic stem cells, by treating them with a series of molecules known to be necessary for their development. The finished cells, pictured in red, with their nuclei in blue and bundles of stereocilia in green, have all the characteristics of cells found in the vestibular apparatus, the region of the inner ear involved in perceiving movement. Growing these cells in the laboratory will help further our understanding of inner ear development, as well as test potential treatments of diseases affecting hearing and balance.

Written by Emmanuelle Briolat

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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