Abstract
Synaptic contacts between hair cells and primary neurons are included in important architectures for inner ear functions. Inner hair cells are innervated by afferent nerve fibers with characteristic morphology. Each type of inner hair cells has synaptic ribbons that are electron-dense structures at the presynaptic region. Synaptic ribbons play a crucial role in glutamate release to the afferent nerve endings. This chapter reviews basic anatomy of synaptic contacts between hair cells and primary neurons and discusses on the importance of ribbon synapses in inner hair cells of the cochlea as a therapeutic target.
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Nakagawa, T. (2014). Synaptic Contacts Between Hair Cells and Primary Neurons. In: Ito, J. (eds) Regenerative Medicine for the Inner Ear. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-54862-1_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-54862-1_7
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