ampulla of semicircular canal
Quick Summary
The ampulla of the semicircular canal is an expanded end of one of the three loop-shaped tubes within the inner ear. These canals, positioned at right angles to each other, are crucial for maintaining balance by detecting rotational movements of the head. The ampulla houses a sensory organ called the crista, which contains hair cells. A gelatinous structure, the cupula, extends from the crista. When the head rotates, the fluid within the canal (endolymph) shifts, causing the cupula to bend. This bending stimulates the hair cells, which then send nerve impulses via the vestibulocochlear nerve to the brain, allowing for the detection of angular acceleration.1234
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human earSemicircular canals…has an expanded end, the ampulla, which opens into the vestibule. The ampullae of the horizontal and superior canals lie close together, just above the oval window, but the ampulla of the posterior canal opens on the opposite side of the vestibule. The other ends of the superior and posterior…
Read More…has an expanded end, the ampulla, which opens into the vestibule. The ampullae of the horizontal and superior canals lie close together, just above the oval window, but the ampulla of the posterior canal opens on the opposite side of the vestibule. The other ends of the superior and posterior…
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semicircular canalFunctionThey sense motion via the ampulla, a bulb-shaped structure at the base of each canal. The ampulla contains a fluid known as endolymph, which is also present in the cochlea, and the crista, a cone-shaped structure lined with hair cells and supporting cells. The hair cells form stereocilia, protrusions that…
Read MoreThey sense motion via the ampulla, a bulb-shaped structure at the base of each canal. The ampulla contains a fluid known as endolymph, which is also present in the cochlea, and the crista, a cone-shaped structure lined with hair cells and supporting cells. The hair cells form stereocilia, protrusions that…
Read More