Otolithic membranes of the saccule and utricle in man.

The otolithic membranes of the human saccule and utricle can be prepared as whole mounts or surface specimens for microscopic examination. They are not simple, homogeneous, gelatinous structures as heretofore described. Instead, each shows a definite and characteristic fibrillar design, which appears to be correlated with the known cytoarchitectural pattern of the underlying neuroepithelium.