The<unk> , or balance system, is the sensory system that provides the dominant input about our movement and orientation in space. Together with the cochlea, the auditory organ, it is situated in the vestibulum in the inner ear (Figure 1). As our movements consist of rotations and translations, the<unk>  comprises two components:
the semicircular canals, which indicate rotational movements; and the Otoliths, which indicate linear translations. The<unk>  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.
Vestibular system
Parasympathetic nervous system
Sympathetic nervous system
Autonomic nervous system
Lymph vascular system
Optic tract
Circulatory system
Cranial nerve nucleus