In an attempt to expand on the pioneering work of the latter part of the last century, a feverish quest continues to uncover the events that lead to cochlear ampli.cation in mammals. The role of the OHC is certainly paramount, and we now have identified many of its membrane constituents that form the basis of the cell's unique contribution. As this review intimates, the motor protein prestin and its interaction with other players within and beneath the plasma membrane drive the cell's augmentation of mammalian hearing acuity. Nevertheless, we are far from understanding the full complement of cellular elaborations that define the cell's mechanical capabilities, Surely, the next quarter century will tell more.