Membranous labyrinth
| Membranous labyrinth | |
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| The membranous labyrinth. | |
| Latin | labyrinthus membranaceus |
| Gray's | subject #232 1051 |
| Artery | labyrinthine artery |
The receptors for the senses of equilibrium and hearing are housed within a collection of fluid filled tubes and chambers known as the membranous labyrinth. The membranous labyrinth is lodged within the bony labyrinth and has the same general form; it is, however, considerably smaller and is partly separated from the bony walls by a quantity of fluid, the perilymph.
In certain places, it is fixed to the walls of the cavity.
The membranous labyrinth contains fluid called endolymph. The walls of the membranous labyrinth are lined with distributions of the acoustic nerve, also known as the vestibularcochlear nerve.
Within the osseous vestibule, the membranous labyrinth does not quite preserve the form of the bony cavity, but consists of two membranous sacs, the utricle, and the saccule.
The membranous labyrinth is also the location for the receptor cells found in the inner ear.
This article incorporates text from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy.
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