Inside the inner ear, the microscopic tips of hair cells look (kind of) like bunches of hair—thus the name. Over time, hair cells can get damaged or destroyed by loud noises and other traumas—and they won’t grow back. That means permanently losing some—or even all—hearing. But scientists have discovered certain animals (such as chickens) CAN regrow hair cells. This view through a scanning electron microscope shows the hair cells of a chicken blown up thousands of times. Scientists are studying these animals’ ears to see if there is a way to help people re-grow hair cells too. (Inside the inner ear, the microscopic tips of hair cells look (kind of) like bunches of hair—thus the name. Over time, hair cells can get damaged or destroyed by loud noises and other traumas—and they won’t grow back. That means permanently losing some—or even all—hearing. But scientists have discovered certain animals (such as chickens) CAN regrow hair cells. This view through a scanning electron microscope shows the hair cells of a chicken blown up thousands of times. Scientists are studying these animals’ ears to see if there is a way to help people re-grow hair cells too. (Peter Gillespie via Cell Image Library) Read More