
Locate malleus on this anatomical reference. Read the original plate labels to confirm the view and adjacent structures.
Zoom in, then drag to inspect. Keyboard: + / − to zoom, arrows to pan, 0 to reset. Tap the numbered markers to explore parts.
This image shows the structure of the ear with the major parts labeled.
Image: OpenStax College · Source / original · CC BY 4.0Numbered markers and focused views are Mediveerse learning overlays; the original reference is linked above.
Tensor tympani
Understand what you see.
Tenses the tympanic membrane through the malleus.
Zoom into the original labels. Practise pointing out each structure, then explain it aloud. Diagrams are teaching references; specimen appearance and slide staining vary.
How to recognise it.
- Muscle in canal above auditory tube
- Tendon turns around processus cochleariformis
- Inserts on malleus handle
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.
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 tensor tympani and give its main role.+
Muscle in canal above auditory tube. Tendon turns around processus cochleariformis. Inserts on malleus handle. Tenses the tympanic membrane through the malleus.
02Give motor supply.+
Branch from the nerve to medial pterygoid, derived from V3.
03Which nearby muscle is supplied by VII instead?+
Stapedius; distinguishing the two nerves is a common viva comparison.
04Point out three important relations and explain their significance.+
Muscle canal; Cochleariform process; Malleus handle. Tenses the tympanic membrane through the malleus. 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.