The attachment of the spiral ligament to the cochlear wall: anchoring cells and the creation of tension

Hearing Research
M M HensonD B Jenkins

Abstract

The spiral ligament of the cochlea contains an array of criss-crossing extracellular fibers which are anchored to the bony wall of the cochlea and into the outer margin of the basilar membrane. In certain areas there is an accumulation of unusual sponge-shaped cells which are clearly involved in anchoring the extracellular fibers to the bony wall and possibly in maintaining or applying radial tension on the spiral ligament-basilar membrane complex. The latter is suggested by the occurrence of a large number of intracellular fibers which have many of the characteristics of the so-called 'stress fibers' of cultured fibroblasts. Where these cells occur the fibers of the spiral ligament bend sharply, presumably due to tension applied on them. This paper provides transmission and scanning electron micrographs of the 'anchoring' cells in the mouse and two species of bats. In the horseshoe bat, the anchoring cells provide the sole mode of attachment of most of the spiral ligament to the otic capsule. Marked differences occur not only among species but also in different regions of the spiral ligament. A diagram is provided to show how the system of cells and fibers might create or maintain tension on the basilar membrane.

References

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Citations

Jan 1, 1993·Journal of Comparative Physiology. A, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology·R F Huffman, O W Henson
Nov 1, 1985·Journal of Comparative Physiology. A, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology·M Kössl, M Vater
Oct 9, 2007·Cell and Tissue Research·Olga GaneshinaMisha Vorobyev
Apr 6, 2012·Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology : JARO·John J KellyDaniel J Jagger
Sep 15, 1988·Hearing Research·M M Henson, O W Henson
May 1, 1989·Hearing Research·P A SantiT S Economou
Dec 1, 1990·Hearing Research·O W HensonM M Henson
Jun 6, 2003·Brain Research Bulletin·Yehoash Raphael, Richard A Altschuler
Jan 15, 2002·Hearing Research·Elena V LeonovaRichard A Altschuler
Jan 1, 1993·Connective Tissue Research·I Thalmann
Oct 12, 2000·American Journal of Human Genetics·A K LalwaniA N Mhatre
Mar 14, 2007·The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America·Ram C Naidu, David C Mountain
Jan 1, 1995·Acta Oto-laryngologica. Supplementum·T IshiiY Takahashi
Sep 25, 2001·The Laryngoscope·P C WeberB A Schulte
May 15, 2003·The Journal of Comparative Neurology·Olga Ganeshina, Misha Vorobyev
Mar 18, 2015·Biomedical Optics Express·Jacob C M LowKonstantina M Stankovic
Jan 1, 1993·Journal of Comparative Physiology. A, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology·R F Huffman, O W Henson
Oct 25, 1992·The Journal of Comparative Neurology·D A CotancheO W Henson
Jan 26, 2005·Hearing Research·Michael S HildebrandHans-Henrik M Dahl

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