Which structure detects angular acceleration in the vestibular system?

Which structure detects angular acceleration in the vestibular system?

• A. Otolith organs
• B. Semicircular canals
• C. Cochlea
• D. Vestibular nerve

Answer: (B)

Angular acceleration is detected by the semicircular canals. Each canal has a hair-cell organ called the crista ampullaris inside an enlarged region called the ampulla. When you rotate your head, the canal moves with the head but the endolymph fluid inside lags due to inertia. That lag pushes on the cupula, bending the hair cells and changing their firing rate. This transient deflection corresponds to changes in angular velocity, signaling angular acceleration to the brain through the vestibular nerve. The otolith organs (utricle and saccule) sense linear acceleration and head position relative to gravity, not rotation. The cochlea handles hearing, and the vestibular nerve is the pathway for these signals rather than the sensor itself.

Angular acceleration is detected by the semicircular canals. Each canal has a hair-cell organ called the crista ampullaris inside an enlarged region called the ampulla. When you rotate your head, the canal moves with the head but the endolymph fluid inside lags due to inertia. That lag pushes on the cupula, bending the hair cells and changing their firing rate. This transient deflection corresponds to changes in angular velocity, signaling angular acceleration to the brain through the vestibular nerve. The otolith organs (utricle and saccule) sense linear acceleration and head position relative to gravity, not rotation. The cochlea handles hearing, and the vestibular nerve is the pathway for these signals rather than the sensor itself.