Aerospace Physiology 25-07 Practice Test

Linear motion and head tilt are detected by the otolith organs, which consist of the utricle and saccule. They contain otoliths that shift with linear acceleration and gravity, bending hair cells to signal acceleration in different directions. The semicircular canals detect rotational movement, not linear acceleration, and the cochlea handles hearing. So, the component that detects linear acceleration is the otolith organs.