What connects the middle ear cavity to the throat?

The correct answer is the Eustachian tube, which serves as a crucial connection between the middle ear cavity and the throat, specifically the nasopharynx. This tube plays an essential role in equalizing air pressure on both sides of the eardrum, helping to maintain proper hearing function. When you yawn or swallow, the Eustachian tube opens to balance the pressure, which can alleviate discomfort felt in the ears when changes in altitude occur, such as during air travel or driving through mountains.

The auditory canal, commonly referred to as the ear canal, is the passage that leads from the outer ear to the eardrum and does not connect to the throat. The malleus and incus are two of the three small bones in the middle ear, known as the ossicles, that help transmit sound vibrations from the eardrum to the inner ear but are not related to the pressure-equalizing function provided by the Eustachian tube.