Question

What would happen if you did not have the stapedius and tensor tympani muscles? A. The ear canal would stay permanently closed. B. The ear canal would stay permanently open. C. The vestibular canals would be permanently misaligned, resulting in hearing and equilibrium problems. D. Loud sounds would cause the ossicles to move too much, potentially causing damage to the inner ear. E. The cochlea would not be secured in place and might move around.

Answer 1

(D) is the correct option

Explanation:

• Both the stapedius and tensor tympani are striated muscles
• The stapedius is about 6 mm in length, arises from the pyramidal process and the tendon attaches to the posterior neck of the stapes
• The stapedius is a muscle with a high oxidative capacity
• The tensor tympani is about 25 mm in length, the muscle is not as strong as the stapedius, and the tendon also contains more elastic tissue and fat
• The tensor tympani courses through a bony canal in the wall of the anterior middle ear, and attaches to the neck of the manubrium
• The tensor tympani and stapedius muscles are protective reflexes
• They reduce the amount of sound that gets into the inner ear
• They are somewhat similar to the blink reflex thus they can be triggered by loud noise, and when they go off, both ears can be involved
• If stapedius and tensor tympani muscles is not present then loud sounds would cause the ossicles to move too much, potentially causing damage to the inner ear