The vestibular system, which contributes to our balance and our sense of spatial orientation, is the sensory system that provides the leading contribution about movement and sense of balance. Together with the cochlea, a part of the auditory system, it constitutes the labyrinth of the inner ear, situated in the vestibulum in the inner ear. As our movements consist of rotations and translations, the
vestibular system comprises two components: the semicircular canal
system, which indicate rotational movements; and the otoliths,
which indicate linear accelerations. The vestibular system sends
signals primarily to the neural structures that control our eye
movements, and to the muscles that keep us upright. The projections to
the former provide the anatomical basis of the vestibulo-ocular reflex,
which is required for clear vision; and the projections to the muscles
that control our posture are necessary to keep us upright.