Page 939 - Atlas of Histology with Functional Correlations

FIGURE 22.13 ■ The internal structures of the ear.

MIDDLE EAR

The middle ear is a small, air-filled cavity called the tympanic cavity. It is

located in and protected by the temporal bone of the skull. The tympanic
membrane separates the external auditory canal from the middle ear. Located in
the middle ear are the auditory ossicles consisting of the stapes, incus, and

malleus that are attached to the tympanic membrane and to the cochlea of the
inner ear; also in the middle ear is the auditory (eustachian) tube. The sound
waves vibrate the tympanic membrane and are then transmitted through the
auditory ossicle bones to the inner ear. The cavity of the middle ear also
communicates with the nasopharynx region of the head via the auditory tube.

938