Newly discovered hair cells on squid may offer clues to understanding hearing loss in humans | PHYS.org
Scientists have known for years that squid have cells with bundles of tiny, hairlike protrusions on their heads and arms, similar to those buried deep inside the human ear that allow us to hear. Now, researchers at Case Western Reserve University have discovered that these animals have hundreds more of these cells, called hair cells, lining the entire surface of their bodies. The discovery may provide researchers with an unprecedented window into how humans use—and lose—their hearing.
"Squid are cephalopods with a diverse population of hair cells on the surface of their bodies, which may yield insights not only into how these fascinating animals detect water movement to survive, but also into how hearing and deafness occur in humans," said Brian McDermott, associate professor at the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, who led the research team.
The findings appear in the current issue of Current Biology and include the first full-body mapping of lateral lines on squid, which are made up of arrays of hair cells.
McDermott's team, including Case Western Reserve graduate and undergraduate students, conducted part of its research at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, as part of a three-year fellowship program to study how squid hear.