SENSORY ENDINGS

A. Hair Cells

B. Sensory response

1. Firing rate of afferent fiber innervating hair cell depends on bending of cilia

a. cilia bend toward kinocilium (long cilia) frequency increase
b. cilia bend away from kinocilium frequency decrease

2. Mechanism (same as cochlear hair cells)

Note: hair cell cilia in endolymph, hair cell soma in perilymph

cilia bend toward kinocilium hair cell K⁺ channels open hair cell soma depolarize  hair cell Ca²⁺ channels open excitatory transmitter released from hair cell, diffuses to afferent ending afferent APs