This cranial nerve has a vestibular part, which functions in balance, equilibrium, and orientation in three-dimensional space, and a cochlear part, which functions in hearing. The functional component of these fibers is special somatic afferent; they originate from receptors located in the temporal bone. Vestibular receptors are located in the semicircular canals of the ear, which provide input on rotatory movements (angular acceleration), and in the utricle and saccule, which generate information on linear acceleration and the influence of gravitational pull. This information is relayed by the vestibular fibers, whose bipolar cell bodies are located in the vestibular (Scarpa) ganglion. ...(100 of 37287 words)