How is the ear involved with equilibrium?

Answer 1

Our ears do more than hear. Our sense of balance is a second function of our inner ears. There are places in the inner ear that have a fluid inside, and as you move your head and body, this gel-like liquid sloshes when our head tilts and moves against some tiny cilia (hair like cells). When these hairs move due to the movement of the fluid (which is caused by changes in forces on the fluid, like gravity), our brain uses these movements to interpret the body position and adds to the other senses that we use in our spatial sense. Then we can tell how we are oriented, so we can walk and balance our bodies.

There is another part of the system of balance that is in the inner ear that can also tell the brain whether we are sitting up, leaning back, or lying down, based upon the position of our head. This part uses little "stones" that move with the motion of our heads to keep track of this body positioning.

The part of the ear that works to help us keep our balance is called the Vestibular System. It includes an area known as a labyrinth, that is a maze of tubes that hold the cilia and fluids. It is on the opposite end of the labyrinth from the cochlea, which is the part of the inner ear that allows us to hear.

Along with the movement of the fluid, other signals from our bodies also are included in the brain's analysis and fine tuning of our senses of motion, movement, position, and balance. These other signals come from the eyes and vision, and also from movement and forces on the joints and skeleton (mostly in our feet and legs) that orient us to our vertical position.

Answer 2

A portion of the ear contains tiny hairs suspended in a jelly-like fluid. When the body moves, this moves the hairs within the fluid. The movement of these hairs is detected by the brain, allowing the body to adjust and maintain balance.

Answer 3

i don/know