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Macula Sacculus
The saccule is the smaller sized Vestibule of the ear, vestibular sac (the Utricle (ear), utricle being the other larger size vestibular sac); it is globular in form, and lies in the recessus sphæricus near the opening of the scala vestibuli of the cochlea. Its anterior part exhibits an oval thickening, the macula of saccule (or saccular macula), to which are distributed the saccular filaments of the acoustic nerve. The vestibule is a region of the inner ear which contains the saccule and the utricle, each of which contain a macula to detect linear acceleration. Its function is to detect vertical linear acceleration. The macula of saccule lies in a nearly vertical position. It is a 2mm by 3mm patch of hair cells. Each hair cell of the macula contains 40 to 70 stereocilia and one true Cilium, cilia, called a kinocilium. A gelatinous cover called the otolithic membrane envelops the tips of the stereocilia and kinocilium. The otolithic membrane is weighted with small densely pack ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Saccule
The saccule (Latin: sacculus) is a bed of sensory cells in the inner ear that detects linear acceleration and head tilting in the vertical plane, and converts these vibrations into electrical impulses to be interpreted by the brain. When the head moves vertically, the sensory cells of the saccule are moved due to a combination of inertia and gravity. In response, the neurons connected to the saccule transmit electrical impulses that represent this movement to the brain. These impulses travel along the vestibular portion of the eighth cranial nerve to the vestibular nuclei in the brainstem. The vestibular system is important for balance, or equilibrium. It includes the saccule, utricle, and the three semicircular canals. The vestibule is the name of the fluid-filled, membranous duct that contains these organs of balance and is in turn encased in the temporal bone of the skull as a part of the inner ear. Structure The saccule, or sacculus, is the smaller of the two vestib ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |