Fig. 2. The mammalian auditory epithelium, the organ of Corti. The sensory inner (IHC) and outer (OHC) hair cells are flanked by various types of supporting cell. Viewed from the top of the organ of Corti, the scanning electron microscopy images show the organisation of the OHC hair bundle from wild-type (source: Marc Lenoir, Montpellier, France), and Myo7a^6J (Arg241Pro) shaker-1 mutant mice at P15. In the shaker-1 mutant, the stereocilia form clusters of a small number of stereocilia arranged in diverse patterns and orientations (adapted with permission from Self et al., 1998).