Why are outer hair cells (cilia) so important in the ears?
The outer hair cells are extremely important as they are known to provide our ears with protection against excess noise and other potentially harmful entities. The cilia (outer hair cells) contract whenever our ears are exposed to any loud sounds or noise vibrations that have the potential to cause damage and pain to ones hearing system. This contraction of the fine hairs acts as a dynamic amplifier, controlling the vibration of each sound that enters our ear. If the cilia are damaged, excess noise will be able to enter our unprotected ears, causing pain.
