Find over 25,000 psychological definitions


utricle

n. the larger of the two vestibular sacs in the inner ear, the other being the saccule. Like the saccule, the utricle senses not only the position of the head with respect to gravity but also acceleration and deceleration. This is achieved by a special patch of epithelium—the macula—inside both the utricle and saccule. —utricular adj.

Browse dictionary by letter

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Psychology term of the day

January 19th 2025

herpetic neuralgia

herpetic neuralgia

pain associated with shingles, caused by reactivation of the herpes varicella-zoster virus (see herpes infection). Following an attack of chicken pox, the virus lies dormant in a dorsal nerve root and ganglion of the spinal cord; when reactivated, it spreads down the sensory nerve, causing vesicle formation and severe, burning, lancinating pain. This acute pain typically resolves in 3 to 5 weeks, but patients often develop the chronic, debilitating pain known as postherpetic neuralgia.