Which part of the ear contains the auditory ossicles and transmits vibrations to the inner ear?

• A. Pinna
• B. External Auditory Canal
• C. Tympanic Membrane
• D. Middle Ear

Answer: (D)

The part of the ear that houses the three tiny auditory bones and passes their vibrations into the inner ear is the middle ear. Inside this air-filled cavity are the malleus (hammer), incus (anvil), and stapes (stirrup). When sound waves hit the tympanic membrane (eardrum), it vibrates and these movements are transferred sequentially through the ossicles. The stapes then pushes on the oval window of the cochlea, sending vibrations into the fluid of the inner ear, where they are translated into neural signals.

The outer ear components—pinna and external auditory canal—collect and funnel sound but do not contain the ossicles. The tympanic membrane itself is the eardrum that begins the chain of transmission, but the bones that actually convey and amplify the vibrations to the inner ear reside in the middle ear.