A recent scientific study revealed that the squid's body contains hair-like sensory cells distributed across its skin, helping it detect surrounding water movements, a discovery that may contribute to understanding human hearing mechanisms and disorders.
The website Phys.org, specializing in scientific and technological news, reported in an article published on the eighth of this month that the study, published in the scientific journal Current Biology, prepared a comprehensive map of the distribution of these cells in young longfin squid, under the supervision of Brian McDermott, Associate Professor at the School of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University in the United States.
The map showed the spread of sensory cell bundles in different parts of the squid's body, including the mantle, fins, and posterior limbs, as well as the siphon, which is the tube the animal uses to propel itself through water, with limited areas almost devoid of these cells.
Scientists previously knew of the existence of these cells on the squid's head and arms, but their extension to other parts of the body had not been described comprehensively. These cells share some characteristics with sensory cells that play a role in the human hearing mechanism.
Researchers believe that studying these sensors may help understand how squid detect water movements, and may also provide new data for studying hearing mechanisms and causes of hearing loss in humans.
The squid is a marine mollusk belonging to the cephalopod group, which also includes octopuses, and lives in seas and oceans.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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