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With the head erect, the otolithic membrane bears directly down on the hair cells and stimulation is minimal. However, when the head is tilted, the otolithic membrane sags and bends the stereocilia, stimulating the hair cells. Any orientation of the head causes a combination of stimulation to the utricles and saccules of the two ears.
The calcium carbonate that the otolith is composed of is primarily derived from the water. As the otolith grows, new calcium carbonate crystals form. As with any crystal structure, lattice vacancies will exist during crystal formation allowing trace elements from the water to bind with the otolith.
Drawing of the statocyst system Statocysts (ss) and statolith (sl) inside the head of sea snail Gigantopelta chessoia. The statocyst is a balance sensory receptor present in some aquatic invertebrates, including bivalves, [1] cnidarians, [2] ctenophorans, [3] echinoderms, [4] cephalopods, [5] [6] crustaceans, [7] and gastropods, [8] A similar structure is also found in Xenoturbella. [9]
The inner ear is primarily responsible for balance, equilibrium and orientation in three-dimensional space. The inner ear can detect both static and dynamic equilibrium. Three semicircular ducts and two chambers, which contain the saccule and utricle, enable the body to detect any deviation from
The utricle and saccule are part of the balancing system (membranous labyrinth) in the vestibule of the bony labyrinth (small oval chamber). [1] They use small stones and a viscous fluid to stimulate hair cells to detect motion and orientation. The utricle detects linear accelerations and head-tilts in the horizontal plane.
Otoconia are crystals of calcium carbonate and make the otolithic membrane heavier than the structures and fluids surrounding it. [1] The otoconia are composite crystallites that overlie the macular sensory epithelium of the gravity receptors of most vertebrates and are required for optimal stimulus input of linear acceleration and gravity. [3]
The sense of balance or equilibrioception is the perception of balance and spatial orientation. [1] It helps prevent humans and nonhuman animals from falling over when standing or moving. Equilibrioception is the result of a number of sensory systems working together; the eyes ( visual system ), the inner ears ( vestibular system ), and the ...
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.