Middle ear

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Middle ear
A diagram of the anatomy of the middle ear
Details
Nerve	Glossopharyngeal nerve
Identifiers
Latin	auris media
MeSH	D004432
TA98	A15.3.02.001
TA2	6877
FMA	56513
Anatomical terminology [edit on Wikidata]

This article is one of a series documenting the anatomy of the
Human ear
Outer ear Auricle Ear canal
Middle ear Tympanic membrane Ossicles Malleus Incus Stapes
Inner ear Vestibules Utricle Saccule Cochlea Semicircular canals
v t e

The middle ear is the portion of the ear medial to the eardrum, and distal to the oval window of the cochlea (of the inner ear).

The mammalian middle ear contains three ossicles (malleus, incus, and stapes), which transfer the vibrations of the eardrum into waves in the fluid and membranes of the inner ear. The hollow space of the middle ear is also known as the tympanic cavity and is surrounded by the tympanic part of the temporal bone. The auditory tube (also known as the Eustachian tube or the pharyngotympanic tube) joins the tympanic cavity with the nasal cavity (nasopharynx), allowing pressure to equalize between the middle ear and throat.

The primary function of the middle ear is to efficiently transfer acoustic energy from compression waves in air to fluid–membrane waves within the cochlea.