Sense of balance

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/sense-of-balance

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary sensory inputs?Visual system, vestibular system, proprioception
2. What is the vestibular system components?Semicircular canals (detect angular acceleration), otolith organs (detect linear acceleration and gravity)
3. What is the sense of balance and why is it important?The sense of balance, called equilibrioception, helps us keep our posture, know where we are in space, and stop falling. It uses three main systems: vision, the inner ear, and body feel.
4. How does the inner ear help us stay balanced?The inner ear has tiny canals and organs that sense head movements and gravity. When the head turns, fluid moves and bends hair cells, sending signals to the brain so we can adjust our body.

Equilibrioception: The sensory perception of balance and spatial orientation, involving multiple sensory inputs.
Vestibular System: The sensory apparatus in the inner ear responsible for detecting head motion and orientation.
Proprioception: The sense of the relative position of one's own parts of the body and strength of effort being employed in movement.
Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex (VOR): A reflex action that stabilizes vision during head movement by producing an eye movement in the opposite direction.