The
saccule is the smaller sized
vestibular sac (the
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 cochlear nerve (also auditory nerve or acoustic nerve) is one of two parts of the vestibulocochlear nerve, a cranial nerve present in amniotes, the other part being the vestibular nerve. The cochlear nerve carries auditory sensory information ...
.
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
cilia
The cilium, plural cilia (), is a membrane-bound organelle found on most types of eukaryotic cell, and certain microorganisms known as ciliates. Cilia are absent in bacteria and archaea. The cilium has the shape of a slender threadlike projecti ...
, 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 packed
protein-
calcium carbonate granules called
statoconica.
The macula of the utricle is in a horizontal position and detects horizontal acceleration. The coordinated
sensory perception of acceleration both vertically and horizontally along the vestibular nerve, allow for the perception of linear acceleration in any direction.
In vertical linear acceleration, the weighted otolithic membrane lags behind the stereocilia and kinocilium. This bends the stereocilia, which is interpreted by the brain as vertical linear acceleration.
References
Vestibular system
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