Review of Medical Physiology - William F. Ganong 2002

Functions of the Nervous System
Hearing and Equilibrium
Introduction

The ear contains receptors for two Senses: Hearing and Equilibrium. The outer ear, Middle ear, and the cochlea of the Inner ear are responsible for sound perception. The semicircular canals, utricle, and saccule of the inner ear are involved in maintaining balance. Receptors in the semicircular canals detect angular acceleration, receptors in the utricle detect linear acceleration in the horizontal direction, and receptors in the saccule detect acceleration in the vertical direction. The receptors for Hearing and Balance are Hair Cells. Six groups of hair cells are located in the inner ear: one in each of the three semicircular canals, the utricle, the saccule, and the cochlea.



Last update: 10/08/2026

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