Good Vibrations

Our ability to hear depends on the sensory organs of the inner ear, including a snail-shaped structure called the cochlea. It contains sensory cells — called hair cells — that sense vibrations in the air and send electrical signals to the brain, allowing us to perceive sound. This image shows the cochlea of a neonatal mouse, with hair cells in red. Scientists have found that signals from brainstem nerve fibers (green) are important for the normal development and function of hair cells.