Question

Movement of hair-cell cilia in a direction toward the shortest cilia results in:

A) hyperpolarization.
B) polarization.
C) depolarization.
D) None of the answers is correct.

Answer 1

When the stereocilia bend toward the shortest member of their array, it results in polarization of the hair cell membrane.

Step-by-step explanation:

When the stereocilia of hair cells bend towards the shortest member of their array, the tension on the protein tethers slackens and the ion channels close. This results in polarization of the hair cell membrane. A small amount of tension on the tethers keeps the membrane potential of the hair cell slightly depolarized when no sound is present.