the ossicles are located in the inner ear of the ear.
where is the ossicles located in the ear?
inner ear
ossicles





























the ossicles (also called auditory ossicles) are three bones in either middle ear that are among the smallest bones in the human body. they serve to transmit sounds from the air to the fluid-filled labyrinth (cochlea). the absence of the auditory ossicles would constitute a moderate-to-severe hearing loss. the term "ossicle" literally means "tiny bone". though the term may refer to any small bone throughout the body, it typically refers to the malleus, incus, and stapes (hammer, anvil, and stirrup) of the middle ear.





























section::::structure.
ossicles
the middle ear plays a crucial role in the auditory process, as it essentially converts pressure variations in air to perturbations in the fluids of the inner ear. in other words, it is the mechanical transfer function that allows for efficient transfer of collected sound energy between two different media. the three small bones that are responsible for this complex process are the malleus, the incus, and the stapes, collectively known as the ear ossicles. the impedance matching is done through via lever ratios and the ratio of areas of the tympanic membrane and the footplate of the stapes, creating a transformer-like mechanism. furthermore, the ossicles are arranged in such a manner as to resonate at 700–800 hz while at the same time protecting the inner ear from excessive energy. a certain degree of top-down control is present at the middle ear level primarily through two muscles present in this anatomical region: the tensor tympani and the stapedius. these two muscles can restrain the ossicles so as to reduce the amount of energy that is transmitted into the inner ear in loud surroundings.
neuronal encoding of sound