K+ mechanoreceptors in the ear open and close based on movement of which structure?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The question asks which structure’s movement causes the K+ channels in cochlear hair cells to open or close.

First, it’s important to recall the basic layout: hair cells have stereocilia that are embedded in or sit adjacent to a tectorial membrane, and deflection of these stereocilia changes the open state of mechanically gated ion channels.

Option availability note: the provided data shows an answer of 'Tectorial membrane' but there are no listed answer choices to evaluate individually. I will reason around the given correct option and common alternatives.

Why the tectorial membrane is linked to channel opening:
- The deflection of hair cell stereocilia occurs when the basilar membrane moves in response to sound, causing shear between the tectorial membrane and the hair cell bundle. This shear bends the stereocilia toward the tallest row, opening mechanotransduction (K+) channels and depolarizing the cell. In particular, the stereocilia are mechanically coupled to the tectorial membrane, so movement of the tectorial membrane relative to the organ of Corti directly influences channel gating.
- Because the open probability of the hair cell’s transduction channels depends on this deflection, the dynamics of the tectorial membrane movement are central to how the cell responds to mechanical stimuli.

If one were to consider the basilar membrane as an alternative focus:
- The basilar membrane’s vibration initiates the overall mechanical stimulation and helps produce the relative motion between the basilar and tectorial membranes. However, the actual channel opening is driven by the resulting deflection of the hair cell stereocilia, which is most directly determined by the interaction with the tectorial membrane. Therefore, saying only the basilar membrane movement would be an incomplete description of the mechanism.

Other potential options (if present) often confuse the source of direct mechanical gating: some might propose endolymph flow, organ of Corti’s width changes, or outer hair cell motility alone. These do not directly describe the mechanical gating event for the transduction channels as accurately as the tectorial membrane’s influence on stereocilia deflection.

In summary, the opening and closing of the mechanotransduction (K+) channels in cochlear hair cells are driven by the deflection of the stereocilia as a result of movement of the tectorial membrane relative to the hair bundle, making the tectorial membrane the key structure referenced in this context.

PSYCH N110-LEC-002 Chapter Assignment 3

K+ mechanoreceptors in the ear open and close based on movement of which structure?

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