saccule
- noun
- /ˈsæk.juːl/
- Specialized
:
sáculo
- In the inner ear, the saccule plays an important role in balance.
- saccule and utricle
- cells in the saccule
Examples
-
The saccule is medial to the anterior half of the footplate, while the utricle is medial to the posterior half of the footplate.
Academic text (1998) -
One must consider the position of the utricle and the saccule relative to the footplate of the stapes.
Academic text (1998) -
With this approach, the surgeon opens the saccule at its natural drainage point.
Academic text (2009) -
Profound deafness results when the hair cells in the saccule no longer function.
Academic text (1998) -
The saccule is commonly dilated so as to fill the vestibule in patients with Meniere's disease.
Academic text (1995) -
A saccular cyst occurs when the drainage pathway of the saccule becomes blocked or is congenitally not patent.
Academic text (2009) -
The saccule is part of the pars inferior, which includes the cochlea, while the utricle is part of the pars superior, which includes the semicircular canal.
Academic text (1998) -
The saccule is connected with the utricle indirectly through the saccular and utricular ducts (which enter the endolymphatic duct).
Academic text (1998) -
The saccule helps the brain determine the position of the head in space.
-
Damage to the saccule can lead to problems with hearing and equilibrium.
Synonyms
Small pouch in the inner ear that helps balance
How Big
Surface Forms
Etymology
Saccule comes from the Latin saccus meaning 'sack' and the small ending -ule, so it literally means a 'small sack'. In the inner ear the saccule is a tiny pouch that helps detect up-and-down movement, so its name explains both its shape and its role in balance.