Know Your Anemone

Waving around in coastal lagoons, starlet sea anemones (Nematostella vectensis) use tiny hair cells on their tentacles (highlighted here in green) to search for prey. A gene called pou-iv helps these hairs to develop. While we don’t have tentacles, researchers find a human version of pou-iv helps us grow other mechanosensory hair cells – in our ears. Cnidaria like anemones and animals like humans share a common ancestor and a legacy of nervous systems wired in similar ways. This fascinating link between ancient touch and human hearing may shed light on the evolution of many different species along the way, but also suggests N. vectensis, already a model organism for studying reproductive biology, may hold clues to human sensory development.

Written by John Ankers

John Ankers

Writer

A former researcher in systems biology, John is now an online biology tutor and professional coach supporting the wellbeing of scientists and NHS professionals. He's writing, too, of course.

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• Image from work by Ethan Ozment and colleagues
• Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
• Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
• Published in eLife, December 2021