Group · Muscular system
Muscles of auditory ossicles
Musculi ossiculorum auditus
- System
- Muscular system
- Part of
- Muscles of head
DescriptionUnreviewed
The extent of the movements of the ossicles is controlled (and constricted) by two muscles attached to them (the tensor tympani and the stapedius).
It is believed that these muscles can contract to dampen the vibration of the ossicles, in order to protect the inner ear from excessively loud noise (theory 1) and that they give better frequency resolution at higher frequencies by reducing the transmission of low frequencies (theory 2) (see acoustic reflex).
These muscles are more highly developed in bats and serve to block outgoing cries of the bats during echolocation (SONAR).
Source: Z-Anatomy · Text licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 · This text comes from the source data and has not been reviewed by a person yet.
Names
- Latin
- Musculi ossiculorum auditus
- English
- Muscles of auditory ossicles
- French
- Muscles des osselets de l'ouïe
- Spanish
- Músculos de los osículos auditivos
- Portuguese
- Músculos dos ossículos auditivos