1965The Journal of Cell BiologyOpen access

THE ULTRASTRUCTURE OF THE KINOCILIUM OF THE SENSORY CELLS IN THE INNER EAR AND LATERAL LINE ORGANS

Åke Flock, Arndt J. Duvall

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Abstract

The bundle of sensory hairs protruding from the top of each receptor cell in the vestibular and lateral line organs in the teleost fish (burbot) Lota vulgaris is composed of a number of stereocilia and one kinocilium located in the periphery of the bundle. The ultrastructure of the kinocilium and its basal body is described. It is found that the kinocilium is morphologically polarized by the asymmetric arrangement of its component fibers and of the basal body by the presence of a basal foot. Peripheral fibers 5 and 6 of the kinocilium and the basal foot of the basal body are oriented away from the stereocilia; that is, in a direction coinciding with the direction of excitatory stimulation. The findings are discussed in terms of directional sensitivity.

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The bundle of sensory hairs protruding from the top of each receptor cell in the vestibular and lateral line organs in the teleost fish (burbot) Lota vulgaris is composed of a number of stereocilia and one kinocilium located in the periphery of the bundle. The ultrastructure of the kinocilium and its basal body is described. It is found that the kinocilium is morphologically polarized by the asymmetric arrangement of its component fibers and of the basal body by the presence of a basal foot. Peripheral fibers 5 and 6 of the kinocilium and the basal foot of the basal body are oriented away from the stereocilia; that is, in a direction coinciding with the direction of excitatory stimulation. The findings are discussed in terms of directional sensitivity.

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Available abstract

The bundle of sensory hairs protruding from the top of each receptor cell in the vestibular and lateral line organs in the teleost fish (burbot) Lota vulgaris is composed of a number of stereocilia and one kinocilium located in the periphery of the bundle. The ultrastructure of the kinocilium and its basal body is described. It is found that the kinocilium is morphologically polarized by the asymmetric arrangement of its component fibers and of the basal body by the presence of a basal foot. Peripheral fibers 5 and 6 of the kinocilium and the basal foot of the basal body are oriented away from the stereocilia; that is, in a direction coinciding with the direction of excitatory stimulation. The findings are discussed in terms of directional sensitivity.

Key concepts: Kinocilium, Stereocilia (inner ear), Ultrastructure, Anatomy, Biology, Basal body, Bundle, Sensory system

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