Final answer:
The auditory ossicles, including the malleus, incus, and stapes, are located in the middle ear and are crucial for transmitting sound vibrations to the inner ear where the cochlea is situated. The cochlea is part of the inner ear, and the auricle and external acoustic meatus make up parts of the external ear.
Step-by-step explanation:
The structure that is located in the middle ear is the b. Auditory ossicles. The middle ear houses three small bones known collectively as the ossicles or individually as the malleus (hammer), incus (anvil), and stapes (stirrup). These bones play a crucial role in hearing by transmitting sound vibrations from the air to the fluid-filled inner ear where the cochlea is located.
The cochlea is part of the inner ear, and it is responsible for audition. It is a fluid-filled structure that transforms sound vibrations into neural signals that can be interpreted by the brain.
Components like the auricle and the external acoustic meatus are part of the external ear, with the auricle being the visible part of the ear that directs sound waves into the ear canal, and the external acoustic meatus being the entrance to the ear canal itself.