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. 1974 Jun 1;63(6):757–772. doi: 10.1085/jgp.63.6.757

A Mechanism by Which the Hair Cells of the Inner Ear Transduce Mechanical Energy into a Modulated Train of Action Potentials

Richard Malcolm 1
PMCID: PMC2203572  PMID: 4857291

Abstract

Physical models of the hair cells of the inner ear were built and analyzed. These models suggest that a straightforward physical process is capable of modulating the electrical resistance of the hair cell. Strong evidence in the literature indicates that such a change in resistance would modulate an otherwise steady electrical current which flows across the hair cell. This would cause the resting potential of the hair cell to change in a systematic fashion, eventually giving rise to the modulated train of action potentials in the neurons leading from the hair cell to the central nervous system.

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Selected References

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