The tips of the outer hair cell stereocilia are imbedded in a gelatinous mass called the tectorial membrane which lies on top of the organ of Corti and is secreted from cells (not shown) on the left.

"These exposures can cause temporary disarticulations between outer hair cells and the tectorial membrane in the cochlea, ...

It was later determined that outer hair cell stereocilia are firmly embedded in the overlying tectorial membrane while inner hair cell stereocilia make only a tenuous connection. The outer hair cells ...

This important study shows that sound exposure enhances drug delivery to the cochlea via outer hair cell electromotility acting as a "fluid pump". Although others have proposed that electromotility ...

Emadi G, Richter CP Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology : JARO 2008 Mar; 9(1):22-32 PMID: 18046606 Tectorial membrane stiffness gradients. Richter CP, Emadi G, Getnick G, Quesnel ...