Keyword: fluctuations
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Entropy production and fluctuation-response relations underlying active mechanosensitivity by the inner ear’s hair cells
Sounds are detected and amplified in the inner ear by active mechano-sensory hair cells (see Figure). Hearing starts with the deflection of the hair bundle, a cohesive tuft of cylindrical protrusions that works as the hair cell’s mechanical antenna. Hair-bundle vibrations produce an electrical signal that is then transmitted to the brain. Importantly, the hair…