Most sounds of interest consist of complex, time-dependent admixtures of tones of diverse
frequencies and variable amplitudes. To detect and process these signals, the ear employs …

Humans have six members of the ferlin protein family: dysferlin, myoferlin, otoferlin, fer1L4,
fer1L5, and fer1L6. These proteins share common features such as multiple Ca2+-binding …

Sound-evoked spikes in the auditory nerve can phase-lock with submillisecond precision for
prolonged periods of time. However, the synaptic mechanisms that enable this accurate …

The cochlea processes auditory signals over a wide range of frequencies and intensities.
However, the transfer characteristics at hair cell ribbon synapses are still poorly understood …

Hair cells from auditory and vestibular systems transmit continuous sound and balance
information to the central nervous system through the release of synaptic vesicles at ribbon …

Tonotopic differences in the structure and physiological function, eg, synapse number,
membrane properties, Ca2+ channels, Ca2+ dependence of exocytosis and vesicle pool …

The study of hearing and balance rests upon insights drawn from biophysical studies of
model systems. One such model, the sacculus of the American bullfrog, has become a …

Hearing organs in the peripheral of different vertebrate species are extremely diverse in
shape and function. In particular, while the basilar papilla (BP) is elongated and covers the …

Coupling is critical in nonlinear dynamical systems. It affects the stabilities of individual
oscillators as well as the characteristics of their response to external forces. In the auditory …

Sensory hair cells, located at the cochlea, convert sound into a depolarizing stimulus that, as
a response to an increase in the intracellular Ca 2+ concentration, triggers the release of …