How Do the Ossicles Work?

The ossicles are tiny bones in the middle ear, that form a chain connecting the ear drum

(Tympanic membrane, TM) and the inner ear. When airborne sound vibrates the TM, the ossicles perform an "impedance match" allowing sound energy to be transferred into the fluid filled inner ear, rather than just bouncing off.

How do the ear ossicles work?

The Middle Ear

The vibrations from the eardrum set the ossicles into motion. The ossicles are actually tiny bones — the smallest in the human body. The three bones are named after their shapes: the malleus (hammer), incus (anvil) and stapes (stirrup). The ossicles further amplify the sound.

How do the ossicles work in helping a person to hear?

The purpose of the auditory ossicles (also called the ossicular chain) is to transmit sound via a chain reaction of vibrations that connects the eardrum to the inner ear and cochlea. ... The vibrational pressure is passed to the malleus, an articulated bone that flexes at one of the two incudomalleolar joints.