Semicircular canal with crista
The vestibular system serves to keep the equilibrium as well as to orientate oneself. It consists of three differently arranged semicircular canals with each a receptor organ (crista ampullaris) as well as an utriculus and a sacculus, whose receptor organs are called macula statica. The receptor organs consist of supporting cells, between which secondary sensory cells are embedded. On their surface, these have each a kinocilium (sensory hair) and several stereocilia (= microvilli without intrinsic mobility), that extend into a gelatinous layer. Deformation of the superficial layer caused be movement leads to bending of the sensory hairs. A bending of the sensory hair into the direction of the stereocilia inhibits, a bending away from the microvilli activates the nerve fiber. A characteristic of the macula statica are the cristal (statoliths) attached to the superficial layer. The cristae ampullares primarily register angular acceleration, the maculae staticae rather register linear acceleration.
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