Final answer:
Maculae are present in the vestibule of the inner ear and are crucial for sensing balance, as they contain hair cells that respond to changes in head position by sending neural signals to the brain.
Step-by-step explanation:
The maculae are found within the vestibule of the inner ear and contain receptor cells for the sense of balance. The maculae, specifically the utricle and saccule, sense head position and acceleration in response to movement and gravity. Hair cells within the maculae are responsible for transducing mechanical stimuli into neural signals that are interpreted by the brain.
The utricle and saccule are both largely composed of macula tissue, which is essential for the sense of balance. The macula contains hair cells surrounded by support cells. The stereocilia of these hair cells extend into a gel called the otolithic membrane, which has a layer of otoliths, or calcium carbonate crystals, that add weight to the membrane. When the head tilts, the otolithic membrane moves independently from the macula, bending the stereocilia, which in turn depolarizes or hyperpolarizes the hair cells. This process leads to the transmission of neural signals related to head position to the brain for interpretation.