Short answerEasy3 marks
Give the biological terms for the three tiny bones present in the middle ear.
Topic: Ear ossicles
Previous-year question practice database
Answer
Exam answer
The three EAR OSSICLES are:
- MALLEUS (hammer)
- INCUS (anvil)
- STAPES (stirrup)
Explanation
One mark each, and give them IN ORDER from the eardrum inwards — malleus, incus, stapes. The common names in brackets cost nothing and confirm you know which is which.
THEIR FUNCTION: they AMPLIFY the vibrations received from the tympanic membrane and transmit them to the oval window of the cochlea. Amplification is necessary because it takes far more force to set a LIQUID vibrating than air, and the inner ear is fluid-filled.
The STAPES is the smallest bone in the human body, and it is the one that fits into the OVAL WINDOW — both facts are asked directly in other papers.
Spelling matters: MALLEUS, INCUS, STAPES.
More from Sense Organs
A defect in our eye in which some parts of the object are in focus while the other parts are blurred.2026Given below is the picture of an eagle. Eagles have binocular vision. What is the advantage of such a vision?2026Name the eye disorder she is suffering from.2026How can the above defect be corrected?2026Where is the image formed in the above disorder?2026Give the collective term for the structure located in the internal ear.2026