The eardrum vibrates. The vibrations are then passed to 3 tiny bones in the middle ear called the ossicles. The ossicles amplify the sound. They send the sound waves to the inner ear and into the fluid-filled hearing organ (cochlea).

Does the middle ear amplify sound?

When the sound waves are transmitted from the eardrum to the oval window, the middle ear is functioning as an acoustic transformer amplifying the sound waves before they move on into the inner ear. The pressure of the sound waves on the oval window is some 20 times higher than on the eardrum.

How does the tympanic membrane and oval window amplify sound?

When the tympanic membrane vibrates, it causes motion in these three small bones, called ossicles, which then conduct the sound mechanically. The three ossicles act to amplify sound waves, although most of the amplification comes from the size of the tympanic membrane relative to the oval window.