Effects of damage

In this series of photographs the top image shows a cross section through a normal cochlea taken with a transmission electron microscope. The photos below are taken from the top looking down on the surface of 2 different cochlea, using a scanning electron microscope. The point of these images is to convey how sound damage affects the surface area of the support cells, which are labeled by arrows in the top photo and the boxes in the 2 bottom photos. Support cells are stressed by loud noises, which causes these cells to expand their surfaces. At some point the hair cells are forced out of position which causes them to die. In mammals, including humans, this results in permanent hearing loss.

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