Mammalian middle ear

The air-filled space between the eardrum and inner ear in mammals, containing three ossicles that transmit and amplify sound vibrations.

Tympanic membrane: A thin membrane that vibrates in response to sound and separates the outer ear from the middle ear. Sound first sets this boundary membrane vibrating.
Tympanic cavity: The air-filled chamber of the middle ear that houses the auditory ossicles. It is the space in which the ossicles move.
Conductive hearing loss: Reduced hearing caused by impaired sound conduction through the outer or middle ear. Damage or blockage in the middle ear can prevent vibrations reaching the inner ear.
Mammalian evolution: The evolutionary history of mammals and their ancestors. The middle ear's distinctive anatomy emerged during mammalian evolution.
Reptilian middle ear: The middle-ear arrangement in reptiles, generally transmitting vibrations through a single columella. Its single principal ossicle contrasts with the mammalian three-bone chain.
Malleus: The hammer-shaped auditory ossicle attached to the tympanic membrane. It receives eardrum motion and passes it to the incus.
Oval window: A membrane-covered opening between the middle ear and the vestibule of the inner ear. The stapes presses on this boundary to pass vibrations inward.
Otitis media: Inflammation or infection of the middle ear, often accompanied by fluid behind the eardrum. Fluid in the cavity can restrict ossicle motion and reduce hearing.
Synapsid: A member of the amniote lineage that includes mammals and their extinct relatives. Synapsid fossils preserve stages in the lineage leading to the mammalian ear.
Avian middle ear: The bird middle ear, which transmits sound chiefly through a single columella. Birds retain a simpler ossicular arrangement than mammals.

Linked from 27 pages