Vestibular System Flashcards
1
Q
What is the vestibular system?
A
- detects gravity and tilts and turns of the head
- doesn’t always produce readily definable, conscious sensations
- contributes to our sense of balance, maintains an upright head position, and corrects eye movements to compensate for head movements
2
Q
What happens when there are disruptions in the vestibular system?
A
- dizziness and nausea
3
Q
What is the anatomy of the vestibular system?
A
- semicircular canals
- otolith organs
- ampulla
- capula
4
Q
What are the semicircular canals?
A
- 3 ring-like, fluid-filled structures
- detect changes in head rotation
5
Q
What is the ampulla?
A
- each semicircular canal has one
- bulge
- where the capula is
6
Q
What is the capula?
A
- gelatinous mass
- pulls open hair cells in response to movement of fluid in the canals
7
Q
What are the otolith organs?
A
- vestibular sacs
- 2 distinct structures: utricle and saccule
- monitor the angle of the head and linear acceleration of the head
8
Q
What is an otolith?
A
- in the otolith organs
- a stone of calcium carbonate
- one sits in the horizontal plane, and the other sits in the vertical plane
9
Q
What does an otolith do?
A
- the weight of the otolith pulls open hair cell ion channels to indicate the angle of the head and whether it is accelerating along a linear path
