Alsina, B. and Whitfield, T.T. orcid.org/0000-0003-1575-1504 (2016) Sculpting the labyrinth: Morphogenesis of the developing inner ear. Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology . ISSN 1084-9521
Abstract
The vertebrate inner ear is a precision sensory organ, acting as both a microphone to receive sound and an accelerometer to detect gravity and motion. It consists of a series of interlinked, fluid-filled chambers containing patches of sensory epithelia, each with a specialised function. The ear contains many different differentiated cell types with distinct morphologies, from the flask-shaped hair cells found in thickened sensory epithelium, to the thin squamous cells that contribute to non-sensory structures, such as the semicircular canal ducts. Nearly all cell types of the inner ear, including the afferent neurons that innervate it, are derived from the otic placode, a region of cranial ectoderm that develops adjacent to the embryonic hindbrain. As the ear develops, the otic epithelia grow, fold, fuse and rearrange to form the complex three-dimensional shape of the membranous labyrinth. Much of our current understanding of the processes of inner ear morphogenesis comes from genetic and pharmacological manipulations of the developing ear in mouse, chicken and zebrafish embryos. These traditional approaches are now being supplemented with exciting new techniques-including force measurements and light-sheet microscopy-that are helping to elucidate the mechanisms that generate this intricate organ system.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). |
Keywords: | Inner ear; Morphogenesis; Neurogenesis; Otic placode; Semicircular canal; Sensory hair cell |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Science (Sheffield) > School of Biosciences (Sheffield) > Department of Biomedical Science (Sheffield) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL (BBSRC) BB/M01021X/1 |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 20 Oct 2016 15:44 |
Last Modified: | 20 Oct 2016 15:44 |
Published Version: | https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.semcdb.2016.09.015 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Elsevier |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.semcdb.2016.09.015 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:106233 |