The vestibular system

Question 1

Where is the vestibular system situated?

Answer 1

in the three semicircular canals located at the other side of the cochlea

Question 2

What does the vestibular system measure?

Answer 2

motion, orientation, gravity

Question 3

What is the utility of the vestibular system?

Answer 3

• maintains upright head position
• organizes balance
• corrects eye movements to compensate for head movements

Question 4

What are the vestibular sacs?

Answer 4

• set of two receptor organs in each inner ear that detect changes in the tilt of the head

Question 5

What is the role of the semi-circular canals?

Answer 5

Detect changes in head rotation

Question 6

What are the receptor organs in the vestibular sacs?

Answer 6

• utricle
• saccle

Question 7

What is the role of the saccle and the utricle??

Answer 7

• respond to the force of gravity- inform the brain about the head’s orientation

Question 8

What is the functioning of the utriccle and saccule in the vestibular sacs?

Answer 8

• they contain a heavy material: otoconia, which sits on the gelatinous mass at the bottom of the organ
• ottoconia moves lineraly with gravitational changes, which changes the shape of the membrane
• the hair cells move, this creates action potentials which send signals indicating where gravity is pointing toward

Question 9

Whoch structure is responsible for making us sense the movements of the head?

Answer 9

the ampullas

Question 10

Where are situated the ampullas?

Answer 10

in each semi-circular canal

Question 11

What is the cupula?

Answer 11

gelatinous mass in the ampulla

Question 12

What is the role of the cupula?

Answer 12

move in response to the flow of the fluid in the semi-circular canals, which displaces and activates hair cells