Stereocilia

Stereocilia (Latin stereocilia ) are long processes on the surface of epithelial cells. The term can be misleading because these processes are functionally no real cilia, but serve as microvilli increase the surface area and thus better secretion and absorption. Therefore stereocilia are now referred to as Stereovilli. Stereocilia are - unlike cilia - not formed from microtubules, but from actin filaments. In addition, they do not have a basal body.

Stereocilia come to the sensory cells ( hair cells) in front of the screw of the inner ear and in the epididymal duct ( ductus epididymidis ).