Synonyms
Definition
Small calcium carbonate particles that compose the otolithic membrane.
The Saccule
The otolithic membrane covers the utricular macula which is a sensory organ endowed of hair cells and cilia (Seikel et al. 2010). The saccule has a globular-shaped sac which is located near the scala vestibuli in the vestibule (Lee et al. 2016). It is connected anteriorly to the cochlear duct by the ductus reuniens and posteriorly to the endolymphatic duct through the utriculosaccular duct (Lee et al. 2016). The saccule is connected with the cochlea through the miniscule ductus reuniens (Seikel et al. 2010).
The Utricle
The utricle is larger than the saccule, and is...
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References
Chang, R., & Khana, S. (2013). Anatomy of the vestibular system: A review. NeuroRehabilitation, 32, 437–443. https://doi.org/10.3233/NRE-130866.
Clarke, A. H., Schönfeld, U., & Helling, K. (2003). Unilateral examination of utricle and saccule function. Journal of Vestibular Research, 13(4–6), 215–225. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kai_Helling/publication/228727499_Unilateral_examination_of_utricle_and_saccule_function/links/54fb01ea0cf2859b88579a17/Unilateral-examination-of-utricle-and-saccule-function.pdf.
Hain, T. C., & Helminsky, J. O. (2007). Anatomy and physiology of the normal vestibular system. In Vestibular rehabilitation (3rd ed., p. 214). Philadelphia: FA Davis Company.
Lee, S. C., Razek, O. A., & Dorfman, B. E. (2016). Vestibular system anatomy. In A. Meyers, F. Talavera, & P. Roland (Eds.), Medscape. Retrieved from https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/883956-overview.
Oghalai, J. S., & Brownell, W. E. (2012). Chapter 44. Anatomy & physiology of the ear. In A. Lalwani (Ed.), Current diagnosis & treatment in otolaryngology – Head & neck surgery (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Global Education Holdings, LLC.
Seikel, A. J., King, D. W., & Drumright, D. G. (2010). Chapter 9: Anatomy of hearing. In Anatomy & physiology for speech, language, and hearing (4th ed., pp. 447–478). New York: Delmar Cengage Learning.
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Khalil, M. (2018). Otolith. In: Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_988-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_988-1
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