inner ear

the part of the ear that comprises the bony and membranous labyrinths and contains the sense organs responsible for hearing and balance. For hearing, the major structure is the cochlea (see also labyrinth). For the sense of balance, the major structures are the semicircular canals, saccule, and utricle (see also vestibular apparatus).

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Psychology term of the day

December 22nd 2024

family

1. a kinship unit consisting of a group of individuals united by blood or by marital, adoptive, or other intimate ties. Although the family is the fundamental social unit of most human societies, its form and structure vary widely. See biological family; extended family; nuclear family; permeable family; stepfamily.

2. in biological taxonomy, a main subdivision of an order, consisting of a group of similar, related genera (see genus).

3. a collection of mathematically or statistically related entities. For example, a set of statistical tests conducted when there are more than two groups for an independent variable within an analysis of variance constitutes a family of tests. See also family-wise alpha level; family-wise error rate. —familial adj.