Bones of the middle ear

The middle ear has a chain of three tiny bones in it. They are:

• The hammer, also called the malleus. It's attached to the eardrum.
• The anvil, also called the incus. It's in the middle of the chain of bones.
• The stirrup, also called the stapes. It's attached to the membrane-covered opening called the oval window that connects the middle ear with the inner ear.

The bones send vibrations from the eardrum to the inner ear. The three bones differ in size, shape and position. This causes the force of the vibration to rise, called amplify, by the time it gets to the inner ear. This rise in force helps transfer the energy of the sound wave to the fluid of the inner ear.