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- Glossary
Macular organs
Together with the semicircular canals, the macular organs form the vestibular system in the inner ear of vertebrates. They consist of two structures positioned perpendicular to each other, the saccule and the utricle. This alignment enables the macular organs to perceive linear accelerations of the body in space along all three spatial axes: up-down, front-back, left and right.
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- Glossary
Hair cells
Sensory cells in the inner ear located in the organ of Corti and the semicircular canals. The hair cells in the organ of Corti are responsible for transducing (converting) the vibrations into electrical potentials. Each of these sensory cells has hair-like protrusions of varying lengths, called stereocilia. These are interconnected. The movement of these stereocilia caused by the vibrations is the key to signal transduction in the hair cells.
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- Basics
- Structure and Function
The Wonders of Life
Researchers are examining life in ever greater detail. It is revealed to be intricate and complex – the miracle becomes explainable. Yet this in no way diminishes it.
30.04.2020
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- News from the Institutes
Teamwork in the inner ear
Our hearing is based on the organized grouping of proteins
06.11.2025
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- News
- Question to the brain
How does a cochlear implant work?
How does sound reach the brain with a cochlear implant?
27.04.2025
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- News from the Institutes
Pigeons detect magnetic fields through their inner ear
While many animals rely on the Earth’s magnetic field for orientation, how they detect and perceive magnetic stimuli is unknown.
21.11.2025
