The fine filamentous structure in the apical zone of cochlear sensory cells of the guinea pig
was investigated under transmission electron microscopy (TEM) using various fixation
methods. The true form of this structure, which is that of a dense core of sensory hairs and
cuticular plates containing hair rootlets, has been hitherto unknown because of the
selectively destructive effect of ordinary fixatives. We revealed the fine filamentous structure
in great detail by fixing the specimens in tannic acid or by the modified glutaraldehyde …