Stochastic resonance in hair cell mechanoelectrical transduction

Hair cells are the mechanoelectrical transducers in the auditory system of many species, including humans. Experiments show that transduction in individual hair cells displays stochastic resonance, with optimum response at the natural noise level of living cells. We find that many of the observed features are captured by a simple version of a physiologically faithful model of the transduction mechanism. These findings may resolve a longstanding puzzle in evolutionary biology concerning the structure of the cochlea.