Which structure is NOT part of the middle ear anatomy?

The cochlea is not part of the middle ear anatomy; rather, it is located in the inner ear. The middle ear is primarily composed of three ossicles: the malleus, incus, and stapes. These small bones are crucial for transmitting sound vibrations from the outer ear to the inner ear. The malleus (hammer) is attached to the tympanic membrane (eardrum), the incus (anvil) connects the malleus to the stapes (stirrup), which then transmits the vibrations to the oval window of the cochlea.

In contrast, the cochlea is responsible for converting these vibrations into neural signals, which are then sent to the brain for interpretation. Since it performs a different function and is anatomically distinct from the structures in the middle ear, it is accurate to say that the cochlea does not belong to the middle ear anatomy.