Question

Put the following events in order to describe how the semicircular canals detect angular acceleration. start with rotation of the semicircular canals.

• action potentials travel down vestibular nerve
• hair cells depolarize
• rotation of semicircular canals
• endolymph pushes against cupula
• stereocilia bend
a) sense of smell
what is olfaction?

Answer 1

The semicircular canals detect angular acceleration through a sequence of events beginning with head movement that causes fluid shift, bending of the stereocilia, depolarization of hair cells, and transmission of action potentials via the vestibular nerve to the brain.

Step-by-step explanation:

The process by which the semicircular canals detect angular acceleration begins with the rotation of the head, which causes the fluid inside these canals to shift. This movement follows these steps:

1. Rotation of semicircular canals: Initiated by head movement.
2. Endolymph pushes against cupula: The fluid inside the canals, called endolymph, moves, pushing against the cupula.
3. Stereocilia bend: This movement causes the stereocilia, which are hair-like projections, to bend.
4. Hair cells depolarize: The bending of the stereocilia results in the depolarization of the hair cells.
5. Action potentials travel down vestibular nerve: The depolarization leads to the generation of action potentials which travel along the vestibular nerve to the brain.

Through these steps, the brain is able to process information about the head's position and maintain balance and spatial orientation.