Editing Middle ear (section)

===Muscles===
{{Main|Stapedius muscle|Tensor tympani}}
The movement of the ossicles may be stiffened by two muscles. The [[stapedius muscle]], the smallest skeletal muscle in the body, connects to the stapes and is controlled by the [[facial nerve]]; the [[tensor tympani muscle]] is attached to the upper end of the medial surface of the handle of malleus<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b7FVCgAAQBAJ&q=near+the+upper+end+of+its+medial+surface+there+is+a+slight+projection+to+which+tendon+of+tensor+tympani+is+attached |title=Gray's Anatomy E-Book: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice |last=Standring |first=Susan |date=2015-08-07 |publisher=Elsevier Health Sciences |isbn=9780702068515 |language=en}}</ref> and is under the control of the [[medial pterygoid nerve]] which is a branch of the [[mandibular nerve]] of the [[trigeminal nerve]]. These muscles contract in response to loud sounds, thereby reducing the transmission of sound to the inner ear. This is called the [[acoustic reflex]].