Inner Hair Cell Stereocilia Are Embedded in the Tectorial Membrane

New findings show that ”Inner hair cell stereocilia are embedded in the tectorial membrane” and according to the researchers it was previously thought only the outer hair cells had direct contact with the tectorial membrane. But these new findings show there's no space between the tectorial membrane and the hair cells – the stereocilia of both the inner and outer hair cells are totally embedded in the tectorial membrane.

Inner hair cell stereocilia are embedded in the tectorial membrane

Not sure what it implies, but I hope these findings takes us one step closer to curing hearing loss and perhaps also tinnitus.

 

Now I wouldn't know a stereocilia if it jumped up and bit me. Nevertheless, it cheers me up no end to see that the Scientific and Medical community are slowly, slowly gittin' daya.

I had always thought that a stereocilia was something like a "hat" or "cap" on top of an inner hair cell.

I'm still trying to imagine how they could also be -- I quote: "embedded in the tectorial membrane”.

The tectorial membrane is (I think) a sort of a piece of skin or material such like within the cochlea above the hair cells.

Thinks... so then... a cap on the inner hair cell, yet embedded in the membrane above. Ha! So the stereocilia must have some communication of some sort with the tectorial thingie! So that's where the tinnitus is!

Where do I collect my Nobel Prize?

 

Not sure how a human stereocilia looks, but I guess it's not too different from the stereocilia in a frog:



Here's a page with info about the tectorial membrane, which obviously needs updating if the findings in the study I linked to above concluded that also the inner hair cells are embedded in the tectorial membrane:

The tectorial membrane is a fibrous sheet overlying the apical surface of the cochlear hair cells. Structurally, it is a gel-like structure containing 97% of water. Tips of the outer hair cells are attached directly to this membrane.

 

It's a delight to see that things are moving forward (not that I understand it all).

Just keep it coming.