Cupula

Japanese: cupula

…the general term for the mechanoreceptors that line the skin of the head and sides of the body of cyclostomes, fish, and some amphibians; they sense changes in water flow and pressure. Each receptor is called a neuromast, and is a very small, onion-shaped organ with a gelatinous membrane called a cupula that protrudes from its surface. Similar structures are also found in the hearing and balance organs of the inner ear of higher animals.

From the ears

…Hearing
[How the sense of balance works]
The sense of balance is sensed by the semicircular canals and otolithic organs of the inner ear. The ampulla of the semicircular canals contains hair cells, which are sensory cells, and the cupula sits on top of them. The semicircular canals detect rotations of the head in all directions, but fundamentally, the movement of endolymph in the semicircular canals moves the cupula, which is sensed by the hairs of the hair cells, and the semicircular canals are said to be receptors for rotational acceleration.

*Some of the terminology that mentions "cupula" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

Japanese:

…円口類，魚類および一部の両生類の頭部や体側の皮膚に並ぶ機械刺激受容器の総称で，主として水流や水圧の変化を感じる。一つ一つの受容器は感丘neuromastと呼ばれ，タマネギ状のきわめて小さい器官で，表面に突出するゼラチン質のクプラcupulaという薄膜をそなえる。このような構造は高等動物の内耳の聴器や平衡器にもみられる。…

【耳】より

…聴覚
【平衡感覚のしくみ】
　平衡感覚は内耳の三半規管および耳石器によって感受される。三半規管の膨大部には感覚細胞である有毛細胞があり，この上にクプラcupulaをのせている。三半規管は頭のあらゆる方向の回転をとらえるが，根本的には半規管内の内リンパの動きがクプラを動かし，有毛細胞の毛がこれを感じるわけで，半規管は回転加速度の受容器といわれている。…

※「cupula」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について | 情報

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