Middle ear ear and throat. The primary function of the middle ear is to efficiently transfer acoustic energy from compression waves in air to fluid–membrane waves within the cochlea. The middle ear contains three tiny bones known as the ossicles: "malleus", "incus", and "stapes". The ossicles were given their Latin names for their distinctive shapes; they are also referred to as the "hammer", "anvil", and "stirrup", respectively. The ossicles directly couple sound energy from the ear drum to the oval window of the cochlea. While the stapes is present in all tetrapods, the malleus and incus evolved from lower and upper jaw
The Anvil or the Hammer watched by 4.58 million viewers, with a 1.5 rating among 18-49 adults. With Live+7 DVR viewing factored in, the episode had an overall rating of 7.23 million viewers, and a 2.6 in the 18–49 demographic. "The Anvil or the Hammer" received mixed-to-positive reviews. The episode received a rating of 60% with an average score of 6.7 out of 10 on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, with the site's consensus stating: "Though the plot twist was surprising, 'The Anvil or the Hammer' disregarded "Gotham"s own history, muddying up the narrative with a nonsensical story." Matt Fowler of IGN gave the episode