THE ULTRASTRUCTURE OF THE KINOCILIUM OF THE SENSORY CELLS IN THE INNER EAR AND LATERAL LINE ORGANS

TLDR

In the teleost fish Lota vulgaris, vestibular and lateral line sensory hair bundles comprise multiple stereocilia and a peripheral kinocilium. The study aims to describe the ultrastructure of the kinocilium and its basal body. The authors examined the ultrastructure of the kinocilium and its basal body. The kinocilium is morphologically polarized by asymmetric fiber arrangement and a basal foot, with peripheral fibers 5 and 6 and the basal foot oriented away from stereocilia toward the excitatory direction, indicating directional sensitivity.

Abstract

The bundle of sensory hairs protruding from the top of each receptor cell in the vestibular and lateral line organs in the teleost fish (burbot) Lota vulgaris is composed of a number of stereocilia and one kinocilium located in the periphery of the bundle. The ultrastructure of the kinocilium and its basal body is described. It is found that the kinocilium is morphologically polarized by the asymmetric arrangement of its component fibers and of the basal body by the presence of a basal foot. Peripheral fibers 5 and 6 of the kinocilium and the basal foot of the basal body are oriented away from the stereocilia; that is, in a direction coinciding with the direction of excitatory stimulation. The findings are discussed in terms of directional sensitivity.