Abstract
Hair cells of the inner ear in many lower vertebrates behave like electrical resonators so that the transducer current develops a receptor potential that is maximal for a narrow range of frequencies around resonance (Crawford and Fettiplace, 1981). The resonance is thought to arise from potassium channels in the baso-lateral membrane of the cell (Crawford and Fettiplace, 1981; Lewis and Hudspeth, 1983), and it is abolished by tetraethylammonium ions (TEA). Since different hair cells have different resonant frequencies to cover the auditory range, this implies that some membrane property changes from cell to cell. We have investigated the source of the variability by recording the principal ionic currents in isolated cochlear hair cells of the turtle (Pseudemys scripta elegans). The preparation is particularly suitable on two counts: the ear shows a wide range of resonant frequencies (30 Hz to 700 Hz), and the hair cells are tonotopically organized along the basilar membrane, so that cells of different frequency can be selected for investigation (Crawford and Fettiplace, 1980).
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