中耳内有三块听小骨都是依其形状来命名的：

（1）排列方式：锤骨相连在砧骨上，砧骨相连在镫骨上。即镫骨与砧骨相连而砧骨的另一段与锤骨相连。锤骨将力传递到耳蜗的卵圆窗。这三块听小骨构成一个串行力学系统，通过杠杆原理来放大声音的作用力。其主要目的是实现空气和耳蜗内液体之间的阻抗匹配。

（2）功能：空气中的音波传至外听到末端时，引起鼓膜上压力改变，鼓膜因而前后震动，复制声源，而附著于鼓膜上的锤骨亦随之震动，震动再经砧骨传至镫骨，镫骨另一端与卵圆窗相连，振动时可引起内耳液体的运动，进而刺激内耳的听觉受器。

（3）回馈机制：三块听小骨之间的排列犹如杠杆系统，具有放大声波或降低声波的功能。当声音过大或过小时可经由听骨肌的控制。调整三个听小骨间的相对位置。以调节进入内耳的能量多寡。

The ossicles (also called auditory ossicles) are three bones in either middle ear that are among the smallest bones in the human body. They serve to transmit sounds from the air to the fluid-filled labyrinth (cochlea). The absence of the auditory ossicles would constitute a moderate-to-severe hearing loss. The term "ossicle" literally means "tiny bone" and, though the term may refer to any small bone throughout the body, it typically refers to the malleus, incus, and stapes (hammer, anvil, and stirrup) of the middle ear.