Gravity and the cells of gravity receptors in mammals.
Two new findings, that crystals located in the inner ear gravity receptors of mammals have the internal organization requisite for the piezoelectric property, and that sensory hair cells of these same receptors possess contractile-appearing striated organelles, have prompted the author to model mammalian gravity receptors in the ear on the principles of piezoelectricity and bioenergetics. This model is presented and a brief discussion of its implications for the possible effects of weightlessness follows.
Ross
M D
MD
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48109, USA.
D000054:Acceleration; D000818:Animals; D006112:Gravitation; D018466:Gravity Sensing / Q000502:physiology*; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006198:Hair Cells, Auditory / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008465:Mechanoreceptors; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009475:Neurons, Afferent; D015388:Organelles / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010037:Otolithic Membrane / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D051381:Rats; D012444:Saccule and Utricle / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D014732:Vibration; D014893:Weightlessness