The utricle and saccule are together referred to as the static labyrinth because their function is to detect the pose of the head relative to gravity in the absence of motion. (Actually they detect the sum of gravity combined with any linear acceleration the head is undergoing). The pair are also called the “Otolith Organs” because both rely on hairs attached to an otolithic membrane, in which crystals of calcium carbonate are embedded to make it heavier than the fluid it is suspended in.
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