By Ashley P. Taylor, Live
Science Contributor | August 22, 2016 11:02am ET
When it comes to creatures with
keen hearing ability, sea
anemones are not at the top of the list. Nonetheless, new
research suggests that certain proteins that help these animals repair their
feathery tentacles could also eventually be used to help repair damage to cells
within a mammal's inner ear.
The finding comes from a study
done in mice and could be an early step toward finding a treatment for people
with hearing loss, the researchers said.
In mammals, including humans,
sound is translated from vibrations in the air into nerve signals that can be
sent to the brain by highly specialized cells called hair cells. These are
found within the cochlea, a fluid-filled structure of the inner
ear.
Damage to these hair cells, which can be caused by exposure to loud noise, can
result in hearing loss, and mammals are not able to repair hair cells once they
are harmed.
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