Question

A gymnast is able to balance his body in any position even in total darkness because of

• A. tectorial membrane
• B. organ of corti
• C. cochlea
• D. vestibular apparatus

Answer 1

The correct option is D vestibular apparatus

Human ear can be divided into three parts:

• Outer ear: It consists of pinna and an external auditory canal.
• Middle ear: It consists of three small pieces of bone/ossicles - malleus, incus and stapes.
• The tympanic membrane or the ear drum is a thin membrane that separates the outer ear from the middle ear.
• Inner ear: It consists of vestibular apparatus and cochlea. Cochlea consists of organ of corti and the tectorial membrane. Vestibular apparatus consists of semi-circular canals that are at right angles to each other and two otolith organs namely, the saccule and utricle. The semi-circular canals and the otolith organs contain specific receptors called the crista ampullaris and macula, respectively.

A gymnast is a person who practises gymnastics which is a sport that involves a lot of physical exercises which require body balance, flexibility and a high amount of coordination. A gymnast's body is highly conditioned and he is able to balance his body in various positions even in total darkness. This may be because of the fact that his vestibular apparatus is highly active and more efficient.

The vestibular apparatus, in general, helps to maintain body balance, postural stability and change in orientation with the help of specific receptors ( crista ampullaris and macula ) present in it.