What structure in the ear amplifies sound waves?

The ossicles are a set of three small bones located in the middle ear: the malleus, incus, and stapes. These bones play a crucial role in the hearing process by amplifying sound waves that enter the ear. When sound waves strike the tympanic membrane (also known as the eardrum), it vibrates. These vibrations are transmitted to the ossicles, which efficiently transfer and increase the amplitude of the sound waves before they reach the cochlea, where the process of converting mechanical vibrations into electrical signals for the brain occurs.

The cochlea is responsible for converting the amplified sound waves into nerve impulses but does not serve to amplify sound itself. The auditory nerve transmits those nerve impulses to the brain but does not participate in the amplification process. The tympanic membrane is essential for detecting sound vibrations but does not amplify sound waves; its main function is to receive and convey them to the ossicles. Thus, the ossicles are the key structures that amplify sound waves in the ear.