BIO210Y5 Chapter Notes - Chapter 15: Ear Canal, Bony Labyrinth, Membranous Labyrinth
Document Summary
15. 5 equilibrium and hearing involve the inner ear. The receptor cells for the sensations of equilibrium and hearing are isolated and protected from the external environment. These sensory receptors are located within the internal ear, a complex sense organ, where the sensory information is integrated and organized before it is forwarded to the cns. The receptor cells of the internal ear are called hair cells because their free surfaces are covered with specialized processes similar to the cilia and microvilli of other cells. They are basically mechanoreceptors sensitive to contact or movement, and they are always surrounded by supporting cells and monitored by the dendrites of sensory neurons. When an external force pushes against the processes of a cell, the distortion of the plasma membrane alters the rate which the hair cell releases neurotransmitters o. In this way, hair cells provide information about the direction and strength of mechanical stimuli.
