AP Psychology Practice Test

Question: 1 / 530

What role do the three tiny bones in the middle ear play in hearing?

They generate nerve signals in response to sound vibrations.

They amplify and concentrate sound vibrations onto the cochlea's oval window.

The three tiny bones in the middle ear, known as the ossicles (malleus, incus, and stapes), play a critical role in the process of hearing by amplifying and concentrating sound vibrations. When sound waves enter the ear, they cause the eardrum to vibrate. These vibrations are transferred to the ossicles, which then act to amplify the sound before it reaches the cochlea in the inner ear. Specifically, the stapes, the last of the three bones, connects to the oval window of the cochlea, further increasing the pressure of the sound vibrations. This amplification is vital for converting the sound waves into a form that can be interpreted by the sensory cells in the cochlea, ultimately leading to the perception of sound in the brain.

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They protect the inner ear from damaging sounds.

They produce sound waves that the brain interprets as hearing.

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