auditory ossicle
Sign in to saveThe 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
Article
9 sectionsContents
- 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.