What Is a Utricle

: any of various small pouches or saccate parts of an animal or plant: such as. a : the part of the membranous labyrinth of the inner ear into which the semicircular canals open. b : a small usually indehiscent one-seeded fruit with thin membranous pericarp.

What is the function of the utricle?

The utricle is a small membranous sac (part of the membranous labyrinth) and paired with the saccule lies within the vestibule of the inner ear. It has an important role in orientation and static balance, particularly in horizontal tilt.

What does the utricle contain?

The utricle and saccule each contain a macula, an organ consisting of a patch of hair cells covered by a gelatinous membrane containing particles of calcium carbonate, called otoliths. Motions of the head cause the otoliths to pull on the hair cells, stimulating another auditory nerve…