Atomic-level maps of fine ear filaments shine a light on hearing loss.
Excerpt:
The new study, from Ohio State University researchers, builds on this in a way. It focuses on microscopic hairs that sit on top of these hair cells inside the inner ear – more specifically, very fine filaments attached to the top of those microscopic hairs called tip links. As sound vibrations make their way through the ear, these tip links stretch and open up small channels for positively charged ions to carry electrical signals between the ear and the brain, enabling us to hear. It is a similar process that enables us to balance.