Where is the organ of balance of man

Each of us at least once in his life admired the dexterity of rope walkers, gymnasts, yogis and other people who can balance on the brink. How do they manage to stay in the balance from falling and still perform complex movements? What's the secret? All this is possible thanks to the vestibular apparatus - the equilibrium organ, which every person has, but is developed in all different ways. By training this natural ability, you can achieve amazing results in sports. Let's find out where the person's equilibrium is. The 4th grade of the school, in which this matter is superficially considered, is far behind for many. Therefore, no one will be prevented from renewing and deepening their knowledge. Moreover, the nature of man is very interesting and interesting.

General concepts

Before you find out where the balance is located, we will deal with the basic concepts. So, the vestibular apparatus is a system that, together with the motor and visual receptors, plays a major role in the person's orientation in space. By the way, the receptor is an anatomical formation that performs the function of transforming the stimuli perceived by the body into nerve impulses.

The equilibrium organ perceives information about deceleration or acceleration that can occur with different body movements or changes in the spatial position of the head. At the same time, an analysis of the sense of gravity takes place, so the equilibrium organ is often called the gravity apparatus. In conditions of calm, receptors are not excited. But when moving or tilting the head, they become irritated and cause reflex muscle contractions aimed at maintaining balance and straightening the body. It's time to find out where the equilibrium organ is and what it consists of.

Labyrinth

This is a question that interests many people. Where is the human body? You may be surprised, but it is in the inner ear. The vestibular apparatus is located inside the temporal bone and is in close contact with the organs of hearing. Inside the temporal bone is the so-called labyrinth. It is a complex system of channels and cavities connected to each other. The labyrinth can be osseous and membranous. The second is placed inside the first and repeats the basic features of its shape. Between them is a small gap, which is filled with perilymph. And the membranous labyrinth itself is filled with another liquid, the endolymph, which is several times as high as water.

The labyrinth is divided into the vestibule, the semicircular canals where the equilibrium receptors are located, and the cochlea in which the auditory receptors are located. The semicircular canals are three. They lie in mutually perpendicular planes. Due to this, they can analyze the movement of a person in three-dimensional space.

The semicircular canal consists of two legs. One of them expands before the threshold and forms a so-called ampoule. The vestibule is an oval cavity located between the cochlea and the semicircular canals. Bone semicircular canals are filled with ducts, vestibule - membranous pouches of spherical and elliptical shape.

In the ducts and sacs is the accumulation of receptor cells. The receptors are placed on elevations, which are represented in the form of scallops in ampoules of ducts, and in the form of spots - in sacs. When the head moves, the liquid contained in the labyrinth moves and the receptor cells become irritated. In this case, first moves perilympha, and after it - endolymph. In ampoules of semicircular ducts receptors are excited mainly at angular accelerations, and in spots of sacs - with linear ones.

Cells of receptors

The part of the receptor cell that protrudes into the spot ends in 60-80 short, glued together immovable hairs and one longer - mobile. Hairs are immersed in a jelly-like membrane consisting of calcareous otolith crystals. When the movement of the endolymph the membrane slides through the hairs, the receptor cells become irritated. They are so sensitive that they can distinguish the inclination of the head by only 1-2 degrees.

It is generally accepted that the receptors located in the spots of the sacs are sensitive to gravity and regulate in the main the static equilibrium of the body and head. While the receptor cells of the ampulla of the ducts respond to acceleration or deceleration of motion, that is, they regulate dynamic equilibrium. We already know where the person's equilibrium is located and how it is arranged. Now we will understand the mechanism of transmission of a nerve impulse.

Nervous impulse

Impulses that arise in the cells of the organ of equilibrium are transmitted along the fibers of the cranial nerves to the brain, having previously got into the vestibular centers of the medulla oblongata. Hence the signals diverge into different parts of the nervous system, namely: the spinal cord, the cerebral cortex, the cerebellum, the reticular formation, the oculomotor nerves and the vegetative nuclei. Thanks to the connection with the spinal cord, reflexes are performed, aimed at maintaining the balance of the body. Muscles of the trunk, extremities and neck are involved in them. Reflexes redistribute the muscle tone, so that the balance remains. Links with the cerebellum make the body movements more accurate, proportionate and smooth.

The impulse directed from the vestibular apparatus to the nuclei of the optic nerves retains the direction of vision when the head moves. This process explains such a phenomenon as nystagmus - involuntary movements of the eyeballs, which in case of loss of balance are directed in the direction opposite to the rotation of the body. Indicators of nystagmus are taken into account when testing seamen, pilots and astronauts.

Vegetative reactions

Answering the question about where the equilibrium organ is located, we found out that the vestibular apparatus is concentrated in the temporal region. At the same time, his influence on the body is so widespread that he is literally omnipresent. Through the nerve structures located in the brain, the vestibular reaction involves cardiovascular, digestive and other systems. Therefore, with prolonged disturbances of balance, vegetative reactions begin: slowing the pulse, decreasing pressure, nausea, dizziness, vomiting, blushing of the face, and so on.

Why do such symptoms occur when lifting on an elevator and seasickness? The reason is that the human body is used to moving in a horizontal plane, and moving up, down or sideways is alien to it. Training and medications help to lower the excitability of the body of equilibrium.

Weightlessness

In this condition, the vestibular apparatus works differently. During the first 70 hours of being in weightlessness, the activity of the receptors drops sharply. Then it rises and in 2-3 days comes back to normal. Nevertheless, due to lack of physical activity, the impulses from the muscles decrease and vegetative disorders can arise. Therefore, being in a long time in weightlessness, you need to perform special exercises.

Orientation in space

Under normal conditions, the orientation is ensured by the coordinated activity of the body of balance and vision. But even if a person blindfolds and moves him from one place to another, he will be able to remember the direction of the movement, the turns and the approximate distance. According to clinical observations, a violation of the vestibular function causes an unstable position of the body and makes a person prone to seasickness. Deaf people feel the slopes of the head solely due to the contraction of the muscles, because they have broken the vestibular organ of the senses. Equilibrium for them is a more difficult task than for healthy people. Thus, the vestibular apparatus closely interacts with the motor and visual systems, providing a person with coordination and balance. Can you say that the ear is the organ of balance? You can, just need to specify which one.

Vestibular apparatus training

Why do not many people even think about the vestibular apparatus and about where the equilibrium organ is located? The answers here do not need to be searched long. Simply, these people in childhood liked to ride a swing, play mobile games, somersault and perform other children's games that perfectly train the sensory system. Well, the one who in his childhood preferred sedentary pursuits, at the first sea walk will begin to feel dizzy and forget where he is. The body of balance loves training, and this is perhaps good news for those who have problems with the vestibular apparatus.

To get rid of the problem, it is enough to perform a simple charge on a regular basis. You can start with simple turns, slopes and rotations of the head, and then the trunk. As soon as you can make these movements without problems, go on to more complex ones: jogging, swimming and aerobics. For the most lazy patients there is a way and easier - you just need to swing on a chair or hammock. Even such a simple action can activate the vestibular organ of the senses. The equilibrium will soon recover, and you will be able to live fully.

Conclusion

Today we have found out where the body of equilibrium is in man and what he is. Thinking about the vestibular apparatus, you can once again admire the complexity of the human body and its uniqueness. Incidentally, not only a person can boast of such a sophisticated structure of the sensory system. For example, in dogs the vestibular apparatus is also located in the inner ear. And do you know where the organ of balance and hearing is located in the river cancer? Yes, practically the same. This is such an amazing life on our planet.