Endolymph

Endolymph

Infobox Anatomy
Name = Endolymph
Latin = endolympha
GraySubject = 232
GrayPage = 1051


Caption = Cross-section of cochlea. (Endolymph is located in the scala media - the light green region at the middle of the diagram.)


Caption2 = illustration of otolith organs showing detail of utricle, ococonia, endolymph, cupula, macula, hair cell filaments, and saccular nerve
Precursor =
System =
Artery =
Vein =
Nerve =
Lymph =
MeshName = Endolymph
MeshNumber = A12.207.270.517.324
DorlandsPre = e_08
DorlandsSuf = 12332247

Endolymph is the fluid contained in the membranous labyrinth of the inner ear.

It is also called "Scarpa's fluid", after Antonio Scarpa. [WhoNamedIt|synd|2926]

Composition

The main cation of this unique extracellular fluid is potassium, which is secreted from the stria vascularis. The high potassium content of the endolymph means that potassium, not sodium, is carried as the depolarizing electrical current in the hair cells. This is known as the mechano-electric transduction (MET) current.

Endolymph has a high positive charge (from 80-120 mV in the cochlea), mainly due to the presence of positively-charged amino acids. It is mainly this electrical gradient that allows potassium ions to flow into the negatively-charged hair cells during mechanical stimulation of the hair bundle. Because the hair cells are at a negative potential of about -50 mV, the electrical gradient from endolymph to hair cell is on the order of 150 mV, which is the largest electrical potential found in the body.Fact|date=September 2008

Pathology

Disruption of the endolymph due to jerky movements (like spinning around or driving over bumps while riding in a car) can cause motion sickness. [ [http://www.coolquiz.com/trivia/explain/docs/dizzy.asp What makes people dizzy when they spin?] ] A condition where the volume of the endolymph is greatly enlarged is called endolymphatic hydrops and has been linked to Ménière's disease [ [http://www.menieresinfo.com/cause.html Meniere's Disease Information Center - Cause of Meniere's Disease ] ] .

ee also

* Perilymph
* Stria vascularis
* Organ of Corti
* Ménière's disease


=Additional

References

External links

*
* [http://oto.wustl.edu/cochlea/res1.htm Longitudinal Flow of Endolymph at wustl.edu]


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Endolymph — En do*lymph, n. [Endo + lymph: cf. F. endolymphe.] (Anat.) The watery fluid contained in the membranous labyrinth of the internal ear. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • endolymph — [en′dō limf΄] n. [ ENDO + LYMPH] Anat. the fluid in the membranous labyrinth of the inner ear: cf. PERILYMPH …   English World dictionary

  • endolymph — n. the fluid in the membranous labyrinth of the ear. * * * endolymph, endometrial etc.: see endo …   Useful english dictionary

  • endolymph — noun Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary Date: circa 1839 the watery fluid in the membranous labyrinth of the ear • endolymphatic adjective …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • endolymph — the watery fluid in the membranous labyrinth of the ear …   Dictionary of ichthyology

  • endolymph — n. [Gr. endon, within; L. lympha, water] (MOLLUSCA: Cephalopoda) The fluid in the inner sac of the statocyst of Octopods and Vampyroteuthis ; in squid and cuttlefish, the only fluid filling the single walled statocyst sac …   Dictionary of invertebrate zoology

  • endolymph — endolymphatic /en doh lim fat ik/, adj. /en deuh limf /, n. Anat. the fluid contained within the membranous labyrinth of the ear. [1830 40; ENDO + LYMPH] * * * …   Universalium

  • endolymph — noun The fluid inside the labyrinth of the inner ear. Syn: Scarpas fluid …   Wiktionary

  • endolymph — The fluid contained within the membranous labyrinth of the inner ear; e. resembles intracellular fluid in composition (potassium is the main positively charged ion). SYN: endolympha [TA], Scarpa fluid, Scarpa liquor. * * * …   Medical dictionary

  • endolymph — n. fluid contained in the inner ear …   English contemporary dictionary

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