Final answer:
The ossicles of the middle ear, from lateral to medial, are the malleus, incus, and stapes. These are the smallest bones in the body, unique to mammals, and critical for transmitting sound vibrations to the inner ear.
Step-by-step explanation:
The ossicles of the middle ear are named the malleus (hammer), incus (anvil), and stapes (stirrup), ordered from lateral to medial.
The malleus is the most lateral, attached to the interior surface of the tympanic membrane. It connects to the middle ossicle, the incus, which in turn is connected to the most medial ossicle, the stapes. The stapes interface with the oval window of the cochlea.
This arrangement of ossicles acts as a mechanical lever system that amplifies and transmits sound vibrations from the tympanic membrane to the fluid-filled cochlea of the inner ear, enabling the sensation of hearing.
The importance of these tiny bones, unique to mammals, is profound; without them, vibrations from the eardrum would not effectively reach the inner ear. Evolutionary biologists believe that these bones are homologous to the gill-supporting bones found in fish, which over time adapted for hearing in terrestrial mammals.