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macula utriculi
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Diagram showing how the maculae in the inner ear respond to gravity for balance. One panel illustrates upright hair cells when the head is upright, and another shows tilted hair cells when the head bends forward, helping maintain static equilibrium.
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macula utriculi

anatomy
Also known as: utricular macula
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Diagram showing how the maculae in the inner ear respond to gravity for balance. One panel illustrates upright hair cells when the head is upright, and another shows tilted hair cells when the head bends forward, helping maintain static equilibrium.
sense of balance; inner ear In vertebrates the utricular maculae in the inner ear contain an otolithic membrane and otoconia (particles of calcium carbonate) that bend hair cells in the direction of gravity. This response to gravitational pull helps animals maintain their sense of balance.

The macula utriculi is a sensory organ within the utricle of the inner ear. It is part of the vestibular system, which is responsible for maintaining balance and postural equilibrium. The macula utriculi, along with the macula sacculi, are known as otolith organs and function as gravity receptors.

These maculae are stimulated by shearing forces between the otolithic membrane and the underlying hair cells. The otolithic membrane is weighted with tiny crystals of calcite called otoconia, which increase the shearing forces when the head is tilted. The macula utriculi lies primarily in the horizontal plane and provides information about the head's position and side-to-side tilts when upright. It plays a role in reflexes that help maintain an upright posture.12

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2 Britannica Sources
  1. human ear - Detection of linear acceleration: static equilibrium
  2. human ear - Vestibule

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