Which auditory ossicle is hammer-shaped?

Which auditory ossicle is hammer-shaped?

• A. Pinna
• B. Tympanic Membrane
• C. Incus
• D. Malleus

Answer: (D)

The middle-ear bones that carry sound are called the auditory ossicles, and their shapes match their names: hammer, anvil, and stirrup. The hammer-shaped bone is the malleus; its long handle, the manubrium, attaches to the tympanic membrane, so vibrations from the eardrum move the malleus first, then pass to the incus and finally to the stapes. So the hammer-shaped bone is the malleus.

The middle-ear bones that carry sound are called the auditory ossicles, and their shapes match their names: hammer, anvil, and stirrup. The hammer-shaped bone is the malleus; its long handle, the manubrium, attaches to the tympanic membrane, so vibrations from the eardrum move the malleus first, then pass to the incus and finally to the stapes. So the hammer-shaped bone is the malleus.