Contact: Julia Evangelou Strait
jdryden@wustl.edu
314-286-0110
Washington University School of Medicine

Whole Mouse Cochlea

Caption: These are images of mouse cochlea, the part of the inner ear responsible for turning mechanical vibrations of sound waves into electrical signals that are sent to the brain. The normal mouse cochlea (left) has continuous rows of sensory hair cells. The cochlea of mice missing FGF20 (right) have gaps in the rows of hair cells. This abnormal structure results in profound deafness.

Credit: David M. Ornitz, MD, PhD

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