Posterior semicircular canal

From Psychology Wiki

Community portal · Tasks to do · News · Help

Clinical · Educational · Ind&Org · Other fields · Professional · Transpersonal · World

Assessment | Biopsychology | Comparative | Cognitive | Developmental | Language
Personality | Philosophy | Research Methods | Social | Statistics

Biological: Behavioural genetics · Evolutionary psychology · Neuroanatomy · Neurochemistry · Neuroendocrinology · Psychoneuroimmunology · Physiological Psychology · Psychopharmacology

---

Posterior semicircular canal
Interior of right osseous labyrinth.
Latin	canalis semicircularis posterior
Gray's	subject #232 1049
System
MeSH	A09.246.631.663
[[Image:|190px|center|]]
{{{Caption2}}}

The posterior semicircular canal, vertical like the superior, is directed backward, nearly parallel to the posterior surface of the petrous bone. It is part of the bony labyrinth and is used by the vestibular system to detect rotations of the head in the sagittal plane.

It is the longest of the three canals, measuring from 18 to 22 mm.

Its lower or ampullated end opens into the lower and back part of the vestibule, its upper into the crus commune already mentioned.

[edit] See also

• Labyrinth
• Semicircular canal

[edit] Additional images

The cochlea and vestibule, viewed from above.

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.

v·d·e Sensory system: Auditory and Vestibular systems
Outer ear	pinna (Helix, Antihelix, Tragus, Antitragus, Earlobe) • Ear canal
Middle ear	Eardrum (Umbo) • Ossicles (Malleus, Incus & Stapes) • Stapedius • Tensor tympani • Eustachian tube (Torus tubarius)
Inner ear/Labyrinth	Bony labyrinth (Vestibule) • Membranous labyrinth Oval window • Helicotrema • Round window Cochlea: Spiral ganglion • Modiolus • Cochlear duct/scala media (Endolymph, Stria vascularis, Spiral ligament, Organ of Corti) • Scala vestibuli and Scala tympani (Perilymph) Reissner's/vestibular membrane • Basilar membrane • Tectorial membrane Organ of Corti: Hair cells • Stereocilia • Sulcus spiralis (externus, internus) • Limbus spiralis
Vestibular system	Static/translations: Utricle (Macula) - Saccule (Macula, Endolymphatic sac, Endolymphatic duct) - Kinocilium - Otolith Kinetic/rotations: Semicircular canals (Superior, Posterior, Horizontal) • Cupula • Ampullae (Crista ampullaris)
Brain (auditory)	Cochlear nerve VIII → Cochlear nuclei → Superior olivary nuclei → Lateral lemniscus → Inferior colliculi → Medial geniculate nuclei → Primary auditory cortex

This page uses content from the English-language version of Wikipedia. The original article was at Posterior semicircular canal. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with Psychology Wiki, the text of Wikipedia is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.