Introduction To Audiology Practice Exam

The middle ear is an air-filled space that includes the tympanic membrane, the three auditory ossicles, the tympanic cavity, and the Eustachian tube. The tympanic membrane (eardrum) forms the boundary between the outer ear and middle ear and converts sound waves into mechanical vibrations. These vibrations are transmitted and amplified by the ossicles—the malleus, incus, and stapes—so the energy can efficiently move the inner ear fluids. The tympanic cavity is the actual air-filled chamber that houses these bones, and the Eustachian tube connects the middle ear with the nasopharynx to equalize pressure, keeping the tympanic membrane able to vibrate properly. In contrast, the pinna and ear canal are outer-ear structures, and the cochlea and vestibular apparatus belong to the inner ear, not the middle ear.