Answer
The auditory ossicles are located in the middle ear cavity, between the tympanic membrane and the oval window between the middle ear and the inner ear.
The names of the three auditory ossicle are malleus (hammer) incus (anvil) and stapes (stirrup)--these names are based on the shapes of these bones. Ossicles means small bones, and these are these smallest bones in the body--the stapes is the smallest ossicle.
The malleus is attached to the medial surface of the tympanic membrane (ear drum); the incus connects malleus to the stapes and the stapes is attached to the oval window (fenestra ovalis) which is one of the membranes between the middle ear and the inner ear. The ossicles transmit the sound vibrations of the tympanic membrane to the oval window which perturbs the fluid in the labyrinth of the inner ear.
Work Step by Step
The hyoid is a small U shaped bone located between the chin and the larynx. It has a body and from this extent short inner lesser horns and longer outer greater horns. The hyoid is the only bone that does not articulate with any other bone. It is suspended from the styloid process of the skull by the stylohyoid ligament sand the stylohyoid muscle. The larynx is suspended from the hyoid bone by a broad ligament.
The hyoid bone it self serves as points of attachment for several muscles that control the tongue larynx and mandible.
In strangulation deaths the hyoid is usually crushed.
