Schematic representation of tissues dissected for RNA isolation in the production of the inner ear MPSS libraries. The MoVB library was made from microdissected sensory epithelia of the vestibular receptor organs. Red shading indicates the approximate locations of sensory epithelia patches comprising utricular and saccular maculae and three cristae ampulares. The right panel shows a cross section through one turn of the cochlea. The approximate boundaries of the dissected material used to generate the organ of Corti (MoCR) and stria vascularis (MoSV) libraries are indicated. CC Claudius cells; DC, Deiter’s cells; ESC, external sulcus cells; HC, Hensen cells; IDC, interdental cells; IHC, inner hair cell; IPC, inner pillar cell; ISC, inner sulcus cells; OHC, outer hair cells; OPC, outer pillar cells; RM, Reissner’s membrane; SP, spiral prominence; SV, stria vascularis. The cross-section of the cochlea is redrawn from the Hereditary Hearing Loss Homepage (http://webhost.ua.ac.be/hhh/), with the permission of Guy Van Camp.