saccule
Americannoun
-
Anatomy. the smaller of two sacs in the membranous labyrinth of the internal ear.
-
a little sac.
noun
-
a small sac
-
the smaller of the two parts of the membranous labyrinth of the internal ear Compare utricle
Etymology
Origin of saccule
1830–40; < Latin sacculus sacculus
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The utricle and saccule measure head orientation: their calcium carbonate crystals shift when the head is tilted, thereby activating hair cells.
From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022
The utricle and saccule respond to acceleration in a straight line, such as gravity.
From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022
In those individuals, Balaban says, further tests implicated damage to the ear's otolith organs, the utricle and the saccule, key to sensing gravity.
From Science Magazine • Jun. 20, 2018
Balaban and his colleagues venture that a directed energy source could have damaged the exquisitely sensitive utricle and saccule.
From Science Magazine • Jun. 20, 2018
The sacs of the internal ear, known as the utricle and saccule, receive the impulses of the base of the stapes.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 2 "Hearing" to "Helmond" by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
