Function of the organ of equilibrium
The function of our equilibrium organ (vestibular organ) is to keep our body in balance in every position and situation so that we can orientate ourselves in space. This phenomenon is especially impressive when you are sitting on a very fast moving carousel. Although the body rotates against the environment without us moving, our organ of balance still helps us not to lose our orientation.
Even if a patient is spinning in circles, he should be able to perceive the environment clearly and quickly without feeling dizzy or having impaired vision afterwards. The organ of equilibrium therefore consists of different parts in order to be able to fulfil its function fully. On the one hand, there are the three archways, which due to their different orientation can perceive every direction and every rotational movement in our body or in our environment and adjust the body to it.
On the other hand there are the two macular organs Sacculuc and Utriculus. These help us to be fully oriented again within a few milliseconds during translational accelerations (for example, when you make a full braking maneuver with your car), but it is not enough for our muscles and brain to know that we have just stopped or that the world revolves around us because we are on a merry-go-round. Our eyes also need to be informed.
Therefore, another function of the organ of balance is to transmit all information to the eye. Thus the eye can adapt to the respective situation and perform a compensatory movement (nystagmus). This can be observed particularly well in the train with the person opposite: When the other person looks out of the window, a translational acceleration affects him because the train is moving.
Accordingly, the organ of equilibrium performs its function and transmits the information to our eye. If the other person looks out of the window and tries to fix a point, his eyes will jump back again and again as soon as the landscape passes by. This process is finally a functional coupling of the organ of equilibrium and the eyes.
