Deiters' cells, also known as outer phalangeal cells or cells of Deiters (), are a cell type found within the
inner ear
The inner ear (internal ear, auris interna) is the innermost part of the vertebrate ear. In vertebrates, the inner ear is mainly responsible for sound detection and balance. In mammals, it consists of the bony labyrinth, a hollow cavity in the ...
. They contain both
microfilament
Microfilaments, also called actin filaments, are protein filaments in the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells that form part of the cytoskeleton. They are primarily composed of polymers of actin, but are modified by and interact with numerous other ...
s and
microtubule
Microtubules are polymers of tubulin that form part of the cytoskeleton and provide structure and shape to eukaryotic cells. Microtubules can be as long as 50 micrometres, as wide as 23 to 27 nanometer, nm and have an inner diameter bet ...
s which run from the
basilar membrane
The basilar membrane is a stiff structural element within the cochlea of the inner ear which separates two liquid-filled tubes that run along the coil of the cochlea, the scala media and the scala tympani. The basilar membrane moves up and down ...
to the
reticular membrane
The reticular membrane (RM, also called reticular lamina or apical cuticular plate)Hall p. 51
These cochlear supporting cells include a somatic part, with its ''cupula'', and a ''phalangeal process'', which links the Deiters soma to the reticular lamina. The part of the phalanx which is included in the reticular lamina is the apex of the phalanx (''phalangeal apex'').
The cells are named for
neuroanatomist
Neuroanatomy is the study of the structure and organization of the nervous system. In contrast to animals with radial symmetry, whose nervous system consists of a distributed network of cells, animals with bilateral symmetry have segregated, defin ...
* Hall, James W. (2000) ''Handbook of otoacoustic emissions'' Singular Publishing
* O. Deiters (1860) ''Untersuchungen uber die Lamina spiralis membranacea'' Henry & Cohen, Bonn
{{refend
Auditory system