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ANATOMY / REFERENCE GALLERY1 / 2 references
Oval window: magnified reference view with a numbered learning marker. The complete original plate is available in the next view.
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Oval window

Opening in medial wall of middle ear. Occupied by stapes footplate. Leads to vestibule.

Zoom in, then drag to inspect. Keyboard: + / − to zoom, arrows to pan, 0 to reset. Tap the numbered markers to explore parts.

Oval window: magnified reference view with a numbered learning marker. The complete original plate is available in the next view.

Image: OpenStax College · Source / original · CC BY 4.0

Numbered markers and focused views are Mediveerse learning overlays; the original reference is linked above.

Oval window

Ear

Oval window

STRUCTURE & FUNCTION

Understand what you see.

Receives mechanical energy transmitted by the ossicles.

Zoom into the original labels. Practise pointing out each structure, then explain it aloud. Diagrams are teaching references; specimen appearance and slide staining vary.

01 / IDENTIFICATION

How to recognise it.

  1. Opening in medial wall of middle ear
  2. Occupied by stapes footplate
  3. Leads to vestibule
02 / KEY STRUCTURES

Point them out.

Tap a number to open its reference, zoom in and locate the structure. Numbers stay the same across views. This key follows landmarks visible in the reference images.

Related features & study points (3)

Additional relations, attachments or microscopic details to revise alongside this plate. These are separate from its numbered image landmarks.

  • Stapes footplate
  • Annular ligament
  • Vestibule
03 / VIVA PRACTICE

Think first. Then reveal.

Say your answer aloud before opening the suggested response.

Examiner-style prompts: identify the structure, explain its relations, then answer the applied follow-up. These are revision questions, not authenticated past papers.

01Identify oval window and give its main role.
SUGGESTED ANSWER

Opening in medial wall of middle ear. Occupied by stapes footplate. Leads to vestibule. Receives mechanical energy transmitted by the ossicles.

02Differentiate oval and round windows.
SUGGESTED ANSWER

Oval window receives the stapes footplate. Round window is closed by the secondary tympanic membrane and permits pressure displacement.

03Is the oval window directly open to the cochlear duct?
SUGGESTED ANSWER

No. It communicates with the bony vestibule and perilymphatic system, not directly with the endolymph-filled cochlear duct.

04Point out three important relations and explain their significance.
SUGGESTED ANSWER

Stapes footplate; Annular ligament; Vestibule. Receives mechanical energy transmitted by the ossicles. Use the reference plate to locate the region; the relationship map organises the associations and is not drawn to scale.

Read the references.

Credited anatomical plates, microscopy and university teaching references. Individual image credits appear below the viewer. Historical plates can use older terminology; use the lesson text for current names.