Question

A nurse is explaining how sound is conducted from the middle ear to the inner ear in teaching a client who is experiencing hearing loss. The nurse plans to use a diagram that illustrates how which of the following bones connects to the cochlea at the oval window?

a. Stapes
b. Incus
c. Malleus
d. Sphenoid

Answer 1

The stapes is the bone that connects to the cochlea at the oval window, transmitting sound vibrations from the middle ear to the inner ear.

Step-by-step explanation:

The stapes is the small bone in the middle ear that connects to the cochlea at the oval window. The auditory ossicles, which consist of the malleus (hammer), incus (anvil), and stapes (stirrup), transmit sounds from the air as vibrations to the fluid-filled cochlea. The process begins with the malleus, which is attached to the tympanic membrane and vibrates with it. The vibrations are then transferred to the incus, which articulates with the stapes. Finally, the stapes sends the vibrations into the inner ear through its connection at the oval window leading to the cochlea, where sound waves are converted into neural signals.