Which of the following is the principal function of the bones (ossicles) of the middle ear?
Correct Answer: They increase the efficiency of vibration transfer through the middle ear
Description: Ans. C. They increase the efficiency of vibration transfer through the middle earThe transfer of energy through the middle ear from the relatively large eardrum to the smaller oval window by the ossicular chain increases the efficiency of the mechanical transduction process. The bones do not support the membrane structures but allow them to move relatively freely. Interference with the ossicular transmission process by external influences (as by the stapedius and tensor tympani muscles) or by disease processes, acts to reduce the vibration transfer efficiency, a change that can be either protective or harmful. The function of the eustachian tube is independent of the ossicles. While the bones themselves are passive, they are essential to the process of sound conduction.
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Physiology
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