hair cell

American

noun

Biology.

an epithelial cell having hairlike processes, as that of the organ of Corti.

hair cell Scientific

A cell found in the organs of balance in the inner ear of mammals that senses the body's position with respect to gravity. Hair cells are found in both the semicircular canals and the vestibule.

Etymology

Origin of hair cell

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Isaac has sensorineural hearing loss - caused by damage to the hair cells inside the inner ear, or damage to the hearing nerve, or both.

From BBC

In the inner ear, mutations in CPD disrupted this process, triggering oxidative stress and the death of delicate sensory hair cells that detect sound vibrations.

From Science Daily

Unlike eye surgery, which is common, operations aren’t often performed on the pliable bones and hair cell receptors of the middle ear, the source of natural hearing.

From Salon

"Tiny hair cells inside the inner ear pick up sound waves to help you hear. When these get damaged or die, hearing loss is irreversible."

From Science Daily

In a more recent attempt to regenerate hair cells in adults, a company called Frequency Therapeutics injected a gel containing drugs to try to coax the supporting cells to turn into hair cells.

From Science Magazine

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023