The External and Middle Ear
- Sound travels down the external auditory canal,
- causing the tympanic membrane to vibrate.
- The vibrating tympanic membrane (ear drum) causes the three middle ear bones, the incus, malleus, and stapes to move.
- The stapes is attached to the cochlea, inside of which we find the sensory cells.
Some Interesting Facts
- The middle ear bones are the smallest bones in your body.
- The amplitude of their vibrations for just-audible sounds is comparable to the diameter of a hydrogen atom!
- The cochlea is encased in the hardest bone in your body.