Hair cells are the sensory receptor cells of the inner ear, found in the organ of Corti and in the vestibular maculae and cristae. Each has a bundle of stiff stereocilia on top, arranged in rows of increasing height. Bending the bundle opens mechanically gated ion channels and changes the cell's signal to the nerve.
| Location | Organ of Corti in the cochlea, and the maculae of the utricle and saccule and cristae of the semicircular ducts |
|---|---|
| Parts |
|
| Nerve Supply | Cochlear and vestibular divisions of CN VIII (afferent); Olivocochlear and vestibular efferent fibres |
| Blood Supply | Labyrinthine artery branches |
Convert mechanical movement from sound waves or head motion into electrical signals for hearing and balance.
Cochlear inner hair cells are the main sensory cells for hearing, and outer hair cells amplify sound by changing length (electromotility via the protein prestin). Vestibular hair cells (type I and type II) also carry a single kinocilium that sets their direction of sensitivity. In humans lost hair cells are not replaced, so damage from noise, ageing, drugs or genetics is permanent.
Permanent loss of cochlear or vestibular hair cells from noise, ageing, ototoxic drugs or infection, causing sensorineural hearing loss or imbalance.
An inherited condition affecting stereocilia proteins in both hair cells and photoreceptors, causing deafness and retinitis pigmentosa.
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