How do our senses monitor our body's position and movement?

Discuss factors which may

influence our vestibular senses. After you have fully and completely answered this question from
a biological perspective, include a relevant example which illustrates your answer.

The human body is constantly detecting motion and position by using stimuli being produced
and that sensory receptor process is called the proprioceptor. The ability to sense the position of
a part of the body while being blindfolded is due to the proprioceptors of the body. When a body
part is moving, proprioceptors in the body communicate with the brain and let it know the body’s
position. The vestibular system, which is located in the inner ear, is responsible for providing
information about the body’s position and our sense of balance. Research has shown that
“information coming from the vestibular system is processed in the brain and then sent on to
other organs that need this information, such as the eyes, joints, or muscles” (Cologne, 2006). In
some instances, the organs such as the eyes, joints, and muscles can send conflicting information
to the brain which can cause you to have a sense of dizziness or nausea. The vestibular system is
made of three semicircular canals and two otolith organs called the utricle and saccule. The
semicircular canals are in charge of the directions in which we turn our heads; up and down, left
and right, and sideways. Under the semicircular canals are the otolith organs which contain little
otoliths on the hair cells that detect speed like in a sense of falling or the feeling we get while on
a roller coaster. A great fact about the vestibular senses is that it slows down the older we get and
issues with illness such as ear infections can contribute to our sense of balance.
There are many examples of when the vestibular system is in action because it happens every
day and many times you are just unaware of it. For example, driving. When you are in the car
and driving down the highway, your vestibular system is responsible for your ability to pick up
speed but still remain stable. Or when you are walking on an icy sidewalk in the middle of
winter, your vestibular system is responsible for your ability to stay stable and careful. If you
ever feel that your vestibular system is off track like after getting off a dizzier than expected
roller coaster, there are ways to reset your system and overcome the dizziness. Some of those
ways include repetition and practice with bending, brisk turning, intentional sitting and standing
exercises, and walking and laying down stabilization techniques.

References
Cologne, G. (2006). How does our sense of balance work?. Institute for Quality and Efficiency
in Health Care. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279394.