Exercise 8: The Inner Ear Model. Identify all the major components of the model below.
Posterior view:
- Anterior semicircular canal
Anterior/superior view:
- Lateral semicircular canal
- Anterior ampulla
- Posterior semicircular duct/canal
- Endolymphatic duct
The pictures of the inner ear apparatus. The white covering is a bony structure referred to as the bony labyrinth. In some literature, the semicircular canals are attributed to this name, but the whole structure is part of it. Within this bony labyrinth, the grey-colored structure is the membranous labyrinth. The membranous and bony labyrinth are separated by the pink-colored structure called perilymphatic fluid. The pink more specifically denotes tissue, but we will think of it as the area where perilymphatic fluid stays. The semicircular canals or ducts connect with the utricle and other sections of the vestibule via ampullae or ampulla (singular). An ampulla is a (flask-shaped) cavity at the end of a duct. The endolymphatic duct connects to the endolymphatic sac, which is embedded between the tissues and the dura mater in the bone. The endolymphatic duct will then partition the endolymph to the utricle and the saccule. Use the keywords below to identify all the labeled items. Place your answers in Table E8 below.
Key words: utricle, saccule, posterior ampulla, lateral ampulla, endolymphatic sac, cochlear nerve, superior part of vestibular nerve, inferior part of vestibular nerve.
Lab 12 Table E8
Items Identification
1
5
2
6
3
7
8
