L10

The ossicles are the smallest bones in the human body. Malleus, incus and stapes. These bones form a linkage known as the ossicular chain.

The ossicular chain enables the transmission of acoustic energy from the TM to the oval window.

A transducer changes energy from one form to another. The middle ear transduces acoustic energy received at the TM to mechanical energy in the ossicular chain. The stapes footplate transduces mechanical energy from the ossicular chain to hydraulic energy in fluids of the inner ear at the oval window.

The tensor tympanic and stapedius muscles are the smallest in the human body.

The oval window is an opening in the bone between the air filled middle ear and the fluid filled inner ear. Sound is transmitted from the ossicular chain to the inner ear fluids through this window.

The round window is also a membrane covered opening in the bone separating the middle and inner ear.

The oval and round windows are separated by a bony prominence called the promontory.

The Eustachian tube connects the middle ear cavity to the nasopharynx

The Eustachian tube maintains equal pressure on both sides of the tympanic membrane and allows healthy air to enter the middle ear space

Eustachian tubes in adults are about 3.7cm long and are normally closed, preventing infections from entering from the nasopharynx.