Concept:The middle ear contains three tiny bones, called ossicles, which transmit sound vibrations from the eardrum to the inner ear in a fixed order.
Explanation:Sound waves entering the ear cause the eardrum, or tympanic membrane, to vibrate.
The malleus, commonly known as the hammer, is the first middle-ear bone attached to the inner surface of the eardrum.
Therefore, when the eardrum vibrates, the malleus is the first structure in the middle ear to receive these vibrations.
The vibration then passes to the incus, then to the stapes, and finally to the oval window.
Since the oval window, round window, and incus come later in the chain, none of them receives the first vibration.
Answer:D. malleus