stereocilium

American  

[ster-ee-uh-sil-ee-uhm, steer-] / ˌstɛr i əˈsɪl i əm, ˌstɪər- /

noun

Anatomy.

• stereocilia
  plural

1. any of the long, flexible microvilli that superficially resemble cilia and occur as a brush border or series of tufts on the surface of various epithelial tissues.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• stereocilia
  plural

Etymology

Origin of stereocilium

From New Latin; see origin at stereo-, cilium

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

stereocilia

The bending of the stereocilia stimulates the neurons, and they signal to the brain that the head is tilted, allowing the maintenance of balance.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022

When the head turns, the fluid in the canals shifts, thereby bending stereocilia and sending signals to the brain.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022

This bends the stereocilia either toward or away from the tallest member of each array.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

When no sound is present, and the stereocilia are standing straight, a small amount of tension still exists on the tethers, keeping the membrane potential of the hair cell slightly depolarized.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

When the pressure waves from the scala move the basilar membrane, the tectorial membrane slides across the stereocilia.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013