Abstract

Recovery of hair cells was studied at various times after acoustic trauma in adult quail. An initial loss of hair cells recovered to within 5 percent of the original number of cells. Tritium-labeled thymidine was injected after this acoustic trauma to determine if mitosis played a role in recovery of hair cells. Within 10 days of acoustic trauma, incorporation of [ 3 H]thymidine was seen over the nuclei of hair cells and supporting cells in the region of initial hair cell loss. Thus, hair cell regeneration can occur after embryonic terminal mitosis.