utricle

(noun)

Stimulates hair cells of the inner ear to detect motion and orientation.

Related Terms

Examples of utricle in the following topics:

  • Development of Hearing and Balance

    • They contain the sensory hair cells and otoliths of the macula of utricle and of the saccule, respectively, which respond to linear acceleration and the force of gravity.
    • The utricular division of the auditory vesicle also responds to angular acceleration, as well as the endolymphatic sac and duct that connect the saccule and utricle.

  • Vestibulocochlear (VIII) Nerve

    • The other two sensory organs supplied by the vestibular neurons are the maculae of the saccule and utricle.

  • Sensory Modalities

    • The vestibular nerve also conducts information from the utricle and the saccule; these contain hair-like sensory receptors that bend under the weight of otoliths (small crystals of calcium carbonate) that provide the inertia needed to detect head rotation, linear acceleration, and the direction of gravitational force.