Electrophysiology of the cochlea

With careful techniques it is possible to demonstrate 3 electric potential regions of the inner ear: an intracellular negative potential, a high positive potential in the endolymph that appears bounded at the scala media side of the tectorial membrane rather than at the reticular lamina, and tectorial extracellular spaces, which contain a fluid at near zero potential. The tectprial membrane is also found to be at zero potential. Further research may yet uncover more details of the resting potential distribution as one becomes expert at placing microelectrodes and learns better ways of correlating potential with position.