The ossicles in the Middle Ear
Music 175: Ear Physiology
Sound in the Outer Ear
The middle ear consists of the eardrum, to which three small bones, called the ossicles, are attached.
![\includegraphics[scale=.5]{eps/middleear}](img6.png)
The eardrum changes pressure variations of incoming sound waves (through the ear canal) into mechanical vibrations which are then transmitted via the ossicles to the inner ear.
Since the eardrum seals the middle and outer ear, the Eustachian tube, which connects the middle ear to the oral cavity, is needed to equalize these two pressures.