#stapedius

Did you know the body's tiniest muscle is inside your ear? The stapedius muscle supports the stapes, the stirrup-shaped thing that is the body's smallest bone, which sends vibrations to your inner ear. Props to the little guys!

The smallest muscle in the human body is the stapedius. This is a tiny muscle in the ear which is connected to the ossicles; the tiny bones in the ear which conduct the sound energy from the tympanic membrane to the sensory apparatus of the inner ear. It is labelled '7' in the picture above.  The role of the stapedius is to tense and dampen excessive vibration of the tympanic membrane in the event of very loud sound. This can prevent overstimulation of the sensory apparatus and subsequent damage. You may have noticed that when you speak, ambient sounds around you become quieter; this is due to the stapedius muscle dampening the vibrations caused by your voice. Without this your voice would sound deafeningly loud to you. In the event of exposure to excessive volumes of noise it is important to wear ear plugs rather than simply to rely on your stapedius muscle to protect your ear from damage. Moulded earplugs are ideal because they are individually custom fitted one at a time for each ear. It is a good idea to choose an antibacterial variety as this can prevent you getting ear infections in the event that you are a frequent earplug user. Choose some connected with a lanyard if you drop them.