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auditory ossicle
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auditory ossicle

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Also known as auditory ossicle bone, ossicle, ear ossicle, ossicular chain

The ossicles (also called auditory ossicles) are three irregular bones in the middle ear of humans and other mammals, and are among the smallest bones in the human body. Although the term "ossicle" literally means "tiny bone" (from ) and may refer to any small bone throughout the body, it typically refers specifically to the malleus, incus and stapes ("hammer, anvil, and stirrup") of the middle ear.

Key facts

Bone.Name
Ossicles
Bone.Latin
Ossicula auditus, ossicula auditoria
Bone.Image
File:Temporal bone - The Hungry Artist Multimedia.jpg
Bone.Caption
Auditory ossicles: malleus, incus and stapes
Bone.Image2
Auditory ossicles-en.svg
Bone.PartOf
Middle ear

via Wikipedia infobox

Research

6,482 papers

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Wikidata facts

Image
Slide1ghe.JPG
Show 2 more facts
Commons category
Ossicles
NCI Thesaurus ID
C32164
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~7 min read

Article

9 sections
Contents
  • Structure
  • Development
  • Evolution
  • Function
  • Clinical relevance
  • History
  • See also
  • References
  • External links

The ossicles (also called auditory ossicles) are three irregular bones in the middle ear of humans and other mammals, and are among the smallest bones in the human body. Although the term "ossicle" literally means "tiny bone" (from ) and may refer to any small bone throughout the body, it typically refers specifically to the malleus, incus and stapes ("hammer, anvil, and stirrup") of the middle ear.

The auditory ossicles serve as a kinematic chain to transmit and amplify (intensify) sound vibrations collected from the air by the ear drum to the fluid-filled labyrinth (cochlea). The absence or pathology of the auditory ossicles would constitute a moderate-to-severe conductive hearing loss.

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