HMS Research Apoptosis of inner hair cells caused by laser ablation of their spiral neurons in cultures of the mouse organ of Corti. Sobkowicz, H. M., S. M. Slapnick and B. K. August. Asterisks mark areas of neuronal elimination.
Some vacuoles contain electron dense precipitate and tend to fuse.
Some residual shrunken mitochondria are marked by white Xs. Ip, inner pillar cell. Arrowheads mark filopodial tips invaginating the cell. Arrow marks a ribbon synapse in an intact Ih. Their manner of death is thought to be the cause of the secondary degeneration of the two inner hair cells seen above in Fig.