Which bone is commonly known as the stirrup?

Which bone is commonly known as the stirrup?

• A. Hammer
• B. Anvil
• C. Eardrum
• D. Stirrup

Answer: (D)

Think about how hearing works: vibrations reach the eardrum and are handed off to three tiny bones in the middle ear that form a lever system to transfer and boost those vibrations into the inner ear. The bone commonly known as the stirrup is the stapes. It’s shaped like a stirrup and its footplate sits in the oval window of the cochlea, pushing on the inner-ear fluid when the eardrum vibrates. The eardrum itself is not a bone; it’s a membrane (tympanic membrane) that vibrates and starts the chain. So, the stirrup refers to the stapes.

Think about how hearing works: vibrations reach the eardrum and are handed off to three tiny bones in the middle ear that form a lever system to transfer and boost those vibrations into the inner ear. The bone commonly known as the stirrup is the stapes. It’s shaped like a stirrup and its footplate sits in the oval window of the cochlea, pushing on the inner-ear fluid when the eardrum vibrates. The eardrum itself is not a bone; it’s a membrane (tympanic membrane) that vibrates and starts the chain. So, the stirrup refers to the stapes.