Cross-section of Cochlea (IMAGE)
Caption
The illustration shows a cross-section of part of the cochlea, the fluid-filled part of the inner ear that converts vibrations from incoming sounds into nerve signals that travel to the brain via the auditory nerve. University of Utah and Baylor College of Medicine researchers found evidence that stereocilia -- bundles of tiny hair-like tubes atop "hair cells" in the cochlea -- dance back and forth to mechanically amplify incoming sounds via what is known as the "flexoelectric effect."
Credit
William Brownell, Baylor College of Medicine.
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