The smallest muscle in the human body is the stapedius muscle, which is located in the middle ear. The stapedius muscle is only about 1.5 to 2.5 centimeters in length and 1.5 millimeters in diameter. It is named after the stapes bone, which is the smallest bone in the human body and is also located in the middle ear. The stapedius muscle plays an important role in protecting the delicate structures of the ear by dampening the vibrations produced by loud noises. It does this by contracting and pulling the stapes bone away from the inner ear, reducing the amount of sound that reaches the cochlea.
