saccule
Quick Summary
The saccule is a small, sac-like chamber within the vestibule of the inner ear. It is one of the two otolith organs, along with the utricle, that make up the vestibular system. The primary function of the saccule is to detect linear acceleration and the position of the head relative to gravity.
Inside the saccule is a sensory area called the macula, which contains sensory hair cells. These cells are covered by a gelatinous membrane embedded with tiny calcium carbonate crystals called otoconia. When the head tilts or moves linearly, the otoconia shift, stimulating the hair cells. This stimulation sends nerve impulses to the brain via the vestibulocochlear nerve, helping to maintain balance and posture.123
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inner earEquilibriumThe utricle and saccule each contain a macula, an organ consisting of a patch of hair cells covered by a gelatinous membrane containing particles of calcium carbonate, called otoliths. Motions of the head cause the otoliths to pull on the hair cells, stimulating another auditory nerve branch, the…
Read MoreThe utricle and saccule each contain a macula, an organ consisting of a patch of hair cells covered by a gelatinous membrane containing particles of calcium carbonate, called otoliths. Motions of the head cause the otoliths to pull on the hair cells, stimulating another auditory nerve branch, the…
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human sensory receptionVestibular sense (equilibrium)…enlargements of the vestibule (the saccule and utricle) react to steady (static) pressures (e.g., those of gravitational forces). Hair cells within these structures, similar to those of the semicircular canal, possess stereocilia and a kinocilium. They also are covered by a gelatinous cap in which are embedded small granular particles…
Read More…enlargements of the vestibule (the saccule and utricle) react to steady (static) pressures (e.g., those of gravitational forces). Hair cells within these structures, similar to those of the semicircular canal, possess stereocilia and a kinocilium. They also are covered by a gelatinous cap in which are embedded small granular particles…
Read More
human earThe physiology of balance: vestibular function…acceleration); and the utricle and saccule within the vestibule, which respond to changes in the position of the head with respect to gravity (linear acceleration). The information these organs deliver is proprioceptive in character, dealing with events within the body itself, rather than exteroceptive, dealing with events outside the body,…
Read More…acceleration); and the utricle and saccule within the vestibule, which respond to changes in the position of the head with respect to gravity (linear acceleration). The information these organs deliver is proprioceptive in character, dealing with events within the body itself, rather than exteroceptive, dealing with events outside the body,…
Read More- human earDetection of linear acceleration: static equilibrium
…maculae of the utricle and saccule. The left and right utricular maculae are in the same, approximately horizontal, plane and, because of this position, are more useful in providing information about the position of the head and its side-to-side tilts when a person is in an upright position. The saccular…
Read More…maculae of the utricle and saccule. The left and right utricular maculae are in the same, approximately horizontal, plane and, because of this position, are more useful in providing information about the position of the head and its side-to-side tilts when a person is in an upright position. The saccular…
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