hair cell

noun

Definition of hair cell

: a cell with hairlike processes especially : one of the sensory cells in the auditory epithelium of the organ of Corti

Examples of hair cell in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That system operates as the body’s balance organ; its three semicircular canals are filled with fluid and tiny hair cells that sense in which direction the body is moving. — Heidi Mitchell, WSJ, "What’s the Remedy for Car Sickness?," 15 Aug. 2018 We’re born with about 16,000 little hair cells in our ears that act as sound detectors. — Julia Belluz, Vox, "How your cycling class could give you hearing loss," 31 May 2018 In people who have dysfunctional or dead hair cells, cochlear implants work by electrically stimulating auditory nerve cells directly. — Justin Chen, STAT, "Pulses of light restored hearing in gerbils. Could that lead to higher-tech cochlear implants?," 11 July 2018 Loud Noise Can Kill Cells in the Inner Ear Sound waves cause vibration in the ear drum, which triggers movement of hair cells called cilia in the inner ear. — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Protect your ears: you might not realize what’s hurting them," 19 June 2018 Inside your ears are small sensors called hair cells. — Blake Bakkila, Health.com, "What It Means If You Hear Laurel vs. Yanny, According to a Neuroscientist," 16 May 2018 These vibrations make fluid inside your cochlea move, stimulating tiny hair cells that send nerve impulses to the brain via the auditory nerve. — Amber Brenza, SELF, "Why Do My Earbuds Always Fall Out?," 4 Feb. 2018 Meanwhile, the inner ears of untreated Beethoven mice were almost completely devoid of the hair cells. — Deborah Netburn, latimes.com, "Gene-editing breakthrough found to minimize hearing loss in mice could help humans," 20 Dec. 2017 As Helen Thompson of Science News explains, birds are able to regenerate tiny hair cells that line sensory portion of the eardrum. — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, "Barn Owls Do Not Suffer From Age-Related Hearing Loss, Study Shows," 20 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hair cell.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.