http://ajpcell.physiology.org – The mechanosensitive hair cells of the vertebrate acousticolateralis system have an apical bundle of stereocilia, deflections of which control the opening of mechano-electrical transduction channels and thus generate receptor potentials in the cell below. This review describes current theories of hair cell function in the light of recent immunocytochemical and ultrastructural findings; in particular, the location and operation of the transduction channels are considered. Read more »