A. STATOCYST - MACULA O M ovement Clllun-i — _l____LL -I------1— recording from axon -----------applied stimulus ' i ' i i i........n B. CANAL - CRISTA -head cupula head Tropomyosin Cullculaff/^ T-> Plate [ J___lllllllll Semicircular „canals taclil-ea Stereocilia Tectorial ntembrane Fig.H.S Mechanism of transduction in the vestibular hair cell. Movement © in the direction of increasing cilia height stretches thin in-terciliary strands @. This causes an increase in membrane conductance to K *" ®, which moves into the cilium down its concentration gradient (extracellular K ( concentration is very high in the endolymph). The resulting depolarization spreads into the cell ®, triggering transmitter release at the hair cell synapse onto vestibular nerve sensory terminals ©. See text. 11 O >