1. A patch of sensory hair cells in the utriculus and sacculus of the inner ear that provides information about the position of the body in relation to gravity. The hairs of the cells are embedded in an otolith, a gelatinous cap containing particles of calcium carbonate. Movement of the particles in response to gravity pulls the gelatinous mass downwards, which bends the hairs and triggers a nerve impulse to the brain (see illustration).
2. An area of the retina of the vertebrate eye with increased visual acuity. Maculae occur in some animals that lack foveae and often surround foveae in those animals that possess them.