Oval window Oval window The oval window (or fenestra vestibuli) is a membrane-covered opening that leads from the middle ear to the vestibule of the inner ear. Vibrations that contact the tympanic membrane travel through the three ossicles and into the inner ear. The oval window is the intersection of the middle ear with the inner ear and is directly contacted by the stapes; by the time vibrations reach the oval window, they have been amplified over 10 times from what they were when they contacted the tympanic membrane, a testament to the amplifying power of the middle ear. It is a
Membrane stabilizing effect Membrane stabilizing effect Membrane stabilizing effects involve the inhibition or total abolishing of action potentials from being propagated across the membrane. This phenomenon is common in nerve tissues as they are the carrier of impulses from the periphery to the central nervous system. Membrane stabilization is the method through which local anesthetics work. They block the propagation of action potentials across nerve cells, thereby producing a nerve block. Some beta-blockers also possess what is referred to as membrane stabilizing activity (MSA). This effect is similar to the membrane stabilizing activity of sodium channel blockers that represent Class I antiarrhythmics. MSA