NLN NEX Anatomy Practice Test 2026 - Comprehensive Exam Prep

In the middle ear, sound is transmitted through a chain of three tiny bones that connect the eardrum to the inner ear. The first bone is attached to the tympanic membrane, the second sits between the first and third, and the third contacts the oval window of the inner ear. The second ossicle in this sequence is the incus, which relays vibrations from the malleus to the stapes. The pinna belongs to the outer ear and is not part of the middle ear’s ossicular chain, so it’s not involved in this transmission.