Each of us at least once in his life admired the dexterity of tightrope walkers, gymnasts, yogis and other people who know how to balance on the brink. How do they manage to stay in the balance from falling and at the same time perform complex movements? What's the secret? All this is possible thanks to the vestibular apparatus - the body of balance, which every person has, but is developed differently for everyone. By training this natural ability, you can achieve amazing results in sports. Let's find out where the human balance organ is. Grade 4 of the school, which superficially addresses this issue, is far behind for many. Therefore, it will not hurt anyone to renew and deepen their knowledge. Moreover, the nature of man is very fascinating and interesting.
General concepts
Before you find out where the body of equilibrium is, we will understand the basic concepts. So, the vestibular apparatus is a system that, together with the motor and visual receptors, plays a major role in the orientation of a person 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 body of equilibrium perceives information about deceleration or acceleration, which can occur with different movements of the body or a change in the spatial position of the head. At the same time, an analysis of the feeling of gravity is taking place, which is why the equilibrium organ is often called the apparatus of gravity. In calm conditions, receptors are not excited. But when moving or tilting the head, they are irritated and cause reflex muscle contractions aimed at maintaining balance and straightening the body. The time has come to find out where the balance organ is and what it consists of.
Maze
This is a question that many are interested in. Where is the human balance organ located? 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 hearing organs. 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 bone and webbed. The second is placed inside the first and repeats the main features of its shape. Between them is a small gap that is filled with a perilymph. And the membranous labyrinth itself is filled with another fluid - the endolymph, which is several times higher in viscosity than 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. There are three semicircular canals. 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 in front of the vestibule and forms a so-called ampoule. The vestibule is an oval cavity located between the cochlea and the semicircular canals. The bony semicircular canals are filled with ducts, the vestibule is with membranous sacs of a spherical and elliptical shape.
In the ducts and sacs is an accumulation of receptor cells. Receptors are placed on elevations, which in the form of scallops are presented in ampoules of the ducts, and in the form of spots in bags. When the head moves, the fluid contained in the maze moves and the receptor cells become irritated. In this case, the perilymph first moves, and after it the endolymph. In ampoules of semicircular ducts, receptors are excited mainly with angular accelerations, and in spots of sacs with linear ones.
Receptor cells
The part of the receptor cell that protrudes into the spot ends in 60-80 short, fixed hairs glued together and one longer, mobile. The hairs are immersed in a jelly-like membrane consisting of calcareous otolith crystals. When the membrane glides along the hairs during endolymph movement, the receptor cells become irritated. They are so sensitive that they can distinguish a head tilt of only 1-2 degrees.
It is generally accepted that receptors located in the spots of sacs are sensitive to gravity and regulate mainly the static balance of the body and head. While the receptor cells of the ampoules of the ducts respond to the acceleration or deceleration of movement, that is, they regulate dynamic equilibrium. We already know where the human balance organ is and how it is built. Now we will deal with the mechanism of transmission of a nerve impulse.
Nerve impulse
Impulses arising in the cells of the organ of equilibrium are transmitted through the fibers of the cranial nerves to the brain, after having previously reached the vestibular centers of the medulla oblongata. From here, the signals diverge into different parts of the nervous system, namely: the spinal cord, cerebral cortex, cerebellum, reticular formation, oculomotor nerves and autonomic nuclei. Thanks to the connection with the spinal cord, reflexes are carried out aimed at maintaining the balance of the body. The muscles of the trunk, limbs and neck are involved in them. Reflexes redistribute muscle tone, as a result of which balance is maintained. Connections with the cerebellum make body movements more accurate, proportionate and smooth.
An impulse directed from the vestibular apparatus to the nuclei of the optic nerves preserves the direction of view when moving the head. This process explains the phenomenon of 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. Nystagmus indicators are taken into account when checking sailors, pilots and astronauts.
Vegetative reactions
Answering the question of where the balance organ is located, we found out that the vestibular apparatus is concentrated in the temporal region. Moreover, its effect on the body is so widespread that it is literally ubiquitous. Through the nerve structures located in the brain, the cardiovascular, digestive and other systems are involved in the vestibular reaction. Therefore, with prolonged imbalances, autonomic reactions begin: a slowing of the pulse, a decrease in pressure, nausea, dizziness, vomiting, blanching of the face and so on.
Why do these 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 to the sides is alien to him. Training and medications help lower the excitability of the organ of balance.
Weightlessness
In this state, the vestibular apparatus works differently. During the first 70 hours of being in zero gravity, the activity of receptors drops sharply. Then it rises and after 2-3 days comes back to normal. Nevertheless, due to the lack of physical activity, impulses from the muscles are reduced and autonomic disorders can occur. Therefore, being a long time in zero gravity, you need to perform special exercises.
Space orientation
Under normal conditions, orientation is ensured by the coordinated activity of the organ of balance and vision. But even if a person blindfolds and transfers it from one place to another, he will be able to remember the direction of movement, turns and the approximate distance. According to clinical observations, impaired vestibular function causes an unstable body position and makes a person susceptible to motion sickness. Deaf and dumb people feel the inclination of the head solely due to muscle contraction, since they have a disturbed vestibular sensory organ. Balance for them is a more difficult task than for healthy people. Thus, the vestibular apparatus closely interacts with the motor and visual systems, providing the person with coordination and balance. Is it possible to say that the ear is an organ of balance? You can only need to clarify which one.
Vestibular training
Why do many people not even think about the vestibular apparatus and where the balance organ is located? There is no need to look for answers here for a long time. It’s just that these people in childhood loved to ride on a swing, play outdoor games, somersault and perform other children's games that perfectly train the sensory system. Well, the one who in his childhood preferred sedentary exercises, at the very first boat trip will begin to feel dizzy and forget where he is. The balance body loves workouts, and this is probably good news for those who have problems with the vestibular apparatus.
To get rid of the problem, it is enough to regularly perform simple charging. You can start with simple turns, bends and rotations of the head, and then the body. As soon as you can make these movements without problems, go to the more complex ones: jogging, swimming and aerobics. For the most lazy patients there is a simpler way - you just need to swing on a chair or a hammock. Even such a simple action can activate the vestibular sensory organ. The balance will soon be restored, and you will be able to live fully.
Conclusion
Today we found out where the body of equilibrium is in a person and what he is. Thinking about the vestibular apparatus, one can once again admire the complexity of the human body and its uniqueness. By the way, 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. Do you know where the organ of balance and hearing in crayfish is? Yes, almost there. Here is such an amazing life on our planet.