which connects the eardrum (tympanic membrane) to the inner ear. This structure transmits sound vibrations, similar to the way the three tiny bones (ossicles) in the human middle ear function.

The ossicles move the sound to the inner ear, which sends signals to the brain. Amazing. Sadly, we can't go beyond the eardrum and see all that inner goodness, because we don't want to puncture it.

Use of the chinchilla as a model of middle ear infection in auditory research necessitates accessing the middle ear to collect samples or inoculate bacteria. This column describes a simple ...