<P> The stapedius is the smallest skeletal muscle in the human body . At just over one millimeter in length, its purpose is to stabilize the smallest bone in the body, the stapes . </P> <P> The stapedius emerges from a pinpoint foramen in the apex of the pyramidal eminence (a hollow, cone - shaped prominence in the posterior wall of the tympanic cavity), and inserts into the neck of the stapes . </P> <P> The stapedius is supplied by the nerve to stapedius, a branch of the facial nerve . </P> <P> The stapedius dampens the vibrations of the stapes by pulling on the neck of that bone . It prevents excess movement of the stapes, helping to control the amplitude of sound waves from the general external environment to the inner ear </P>

Where are the smallest muscles in the human body located