bone
A bone is a rigid tissue
Tissue may refer to:
Biology
* Tissue (biology), an ensemble of similar cells that together carry out a specific function
* ''Triphosa haesitata'', a species of geometer moth found in North America
* ''Triphosa dubit ...
s in either middle ear
The middle ear is the portion of the ear
The ear is the organ of hearing and, in mammals, balance. In mammals, the ear is usually described as having three parts—the outer ear
The outer ear, external ear, or auris externa is th ...
that are among the smallest bones in the human body. They serve to transmit sound
In physics
Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its Motion (physics), motion and behavior through Spacetime, space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. ...
s from the air to the fluid-filled labyrinth
In Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the Cosmogony, origin and Cosmology#Metaphysical cosmology, nature ...
(cochlea
The cochlea is the part of the inner ear
Inner Ear (established in 2007 in Bodø, Norway) is a Norwegian record label initiated and led by the brothers and jazz musicians Tore Johansen and Roger Johansen (musician), Roger Johansen.
They opened ...
). The absence of the auditory ossicles would constitute a moderate-to-severe hearing loss
Hearing loss is a partial or total inability to hear
Hearing, or auditory perception, is the ability to perceive Sound, sounds by detecting Vibration, vibrations, changes in the pressure of the surrounding medium through time, through a ...
. The term "ossicle" literally means "tiny bone". Though the term may refer to any small bone throughout the body, it typically refers to the malleus
The malleus, or hammer, is a hammer-shaped small bone or ossicle
The ossicles (also called auditory ossicles) are three bone
A bone is a Stiffness, rigid tissue (anatomy), tissue that constitutes part of the vertebrate skeleton in animals. ...
, incus
The ''incus'' or anvil is a bone in the middle ear. The anvil-shaped small bone is one of three ossicles in the middle ear. The ''incus'' receives vibrations from the ''malleus'', to which it is connected laterally, and transmits these to the ''s ...
, and stapes
The ''stapes'' or stirrup is a bone
A bone is a Stiffness, rigid tissue (anatomy), tissue that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various organs of the body, produce red blood cell, red and white bl ...
(hammer, anvil, and stirrup) of the middle ear
The ear is the organ of hearing and, in mammals, balance. In mammals, the ear is usually described as having three parts—the outer ear
The outer ear, external ear, or auris externa is the external part of the ear, which consists ...
.
Structure
The ossicles are, in order from the eardrum to the inner ear (from superficial to deep): the malleus
The malleus, or hammer, is a hammer-shaped small bone or ossicle
The ossicles (also called auditory ossicles) are three bone
A bone is a Stiffness, rigid tissue (anatomy), tissue that constitutes part of the vertebrate skeleton in animals. ...
, incus
The ''incus'' or anvil is a bone in the middle ear. The anvil-shaped small bone is one of three ossicles in the middle ear. The ''incus'' receives vibrations from the ''malleus'', to which it is connected laterally, and transmits these to the ''s ...
, and stapes
The ''stapes'' or stirrup is a bone
A bone is a Stiffness, rigid tissue (anatomy), tissue that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various organs of the body, produce red blood cell, red and white bl ...
, terms that in Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken in the area around Rome, known as Latium. Through the power of the Roman Republic, it became the dominant la ...
are translated as "the hammer
A hammer is a tool
A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment. Although many animals use simple tools, only human beings, whose use of stone tool
A stone tool is, ...
, anvil
An anvil is a metalworking
Metalworking is the process of shaping and reshaping metal
A metal (from Ancient Greek, Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fr ...
, and stirrup
A stirrup is a light frame or ring that holds the foot of a rider, attached to the saddle
The saddle is a supportive structure for a rider of an animal, fastened to an animal's back by a girth
Girth may refer to:
;Mathematics
* Girth ( ...
".
* The malleus
The malleus, or hammer, is a hammer-shaped small bone or ossicle
The ossicles (also called auditory ossicles) are three bone
A bone is a Stiffness, rigid tissue (anatomy), tissue that constitutes part of the vertebrate skeleton in animals. ...
( la, "hammer") articulates with the incus through the incudomalleolar joint
Incudomalleolar joint (more correctly called incudomallear joint) or articulatio incudomallearis is a small synovial joint
A synovial joint, also known as diarthrosis, joins bones or cartilage with a fibrous joint capsule that is continuous with t ...
and is attached to the tympanic membrane
In the anatomy
Anatomy (Greek ''anatomē'', 'dissection') is the branch of concerned with the study of the structure of s and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science which deals with the structural organization of living thing ...
(eardrum
In the anatomy
Anatomy (Greek ''anatomē'', 'dissection') is the branch of biology concerned with the study of the structure of organism
In biology, an organism (from Ancient Greek, Greek: ὀργανισμός, ''organismos'') is a ...
), from which vibrational sound pressure motion is passed.
* The incus
The ''incus'' or anvil is a bone in the middle ear. The anvil-shaped small bone is one of three ossicles in the middle ear. The ''incus'' receives vibrations from the ''malleus'', to which it is connected laterally, and transmits these to the ''s ...
( la, "anvil") is connected to both the other bones.
* The stapes
The ''stapes'' or stirrup is a bone
A bone is a Stiffness, rigid tissue (anatomy), tissue that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various organs of the body, produce red blood cell, red and white bl ...
( la, "stirrup") articulates with the incus through the incudostapedial joint
Incudostapedial joint is a small, synovial ball-and-socket joint
The ball and socket joint (or spheroid joint) is a type of synovial joint
A synovial joint, also known as diarthrosis, joins bones or cartilage with a fibrous joint capsule that ...
and is attached to the membrane of the ''fenestra ovalis
The oval window (or fenestra vestibuli) is a membrane-covered opening from the middle ear to the cochlea
The cochlea is the part of the inner ear involved in hearing. It is a spiral-shaped cavity in the bony labyrinth, in humans making 2.75 turns ...
'', the elliptical or oval window
The oval window (or ''fenestra vestibuli'' or ''fenestra ovalis'') is a membrane-covered opening from the middle ear to the cochlea
The cochlea is the part of the inner ear involved in hearing. It is a spiral-shaped cavity in the bony labyrinth, ...
or opening between the middle ear and the vestibule
Vestibule or Vestibulum can have the following meanings, each primarily based upon a common origin, from early 17th century French, derived from Latin ''vestibulum, -i n.'' "entrance court".
Anatomy
In general, vestibule is a small space or cavity ...
of the inner ear
Inner Ear (established in 2007 in Bodø, Norway) is a Norwegian record label initiated and led by the brothers and jazz musicians Tore Johansen and Roger Johansen (musician), Roger Johansen.
They opened Inner Ear to release their music when their ...
. It is the smallest bone in the body.
Development
Studies have shown that ear bones in mammal embryos are attached to thedentary
In anatomy
Anatomy (Greek ''anatomē'', 'dissection') is the branch of biology concerned with the study of the structure of organism
In biology, an organism (from Ancient Greek, Greek: ὀργανισμός, ''organismos'') is any ind ...
, which is part of the lower jaw
The jaw is any opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth
In animal anatomy
Anatomy (Greek ''anatomē'', 'dissection') is the branch of biology concerned with the study of the structure of organism
In biology, an ...
. These are ossified portions of cartilage
Cartilage (cartilaginous tissue) is a resilient and smooth elastic tissue
Elastic fibers (or yellow fibers) are an essential component of the extracellular matrix
In biology
Biology is the natural science that studies life and living org ...
—called Meckel's cartilage
In humans, the cartilaginous bar of the mandibular arch
The pharyngeal arches, also known as visceral arches'','' are structures seen in the embryogenesis, embryonic development of vertebrates that are recognisable precursors for many structures ...
—that are attached to the jaw. As the embryo develops, the cartilage hardens to form bone. Later in development, the bone structure breaks loose from the jaw and migrates to the inner ear area. The structure is known as the middle ear, and is made up of the stapes
The ''stapes'' or stirrup is a bone
A bone is a Stiffness, rigid tissue (anatomy), tissue that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various organs of the body, produce red blood cell, red and white bl ...
, incus
The ''incus'' or anvil is a bone in the middle ear. The anvil-shaped small bone is one of three ossicles in the middle ear. The ''incus'' receives vibrations from the ''malleus'', to which it is connected laterally, and transmits these to the ''s ...
, malleus
The malleus, or hammer, is a hammer-shaped small bone or ossicle
The ossicles (also called auditory ossicles) are three bone
A bone is a Stiffness, rigid tissue (anatomy), tissue that constitutes part of the vertebrate skeleton in animals. ...
, and tympanic membrane
In the anatomy
Anatomy (Greek ''anatomē'', 'dissection') is the branch of concerned with the study of the structure of s and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science which deals with the structural organization of living thing ...
. These correspond to the columella
Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella (; Arabic: Yunius, 4 – c. 70 AD) was a prominent writer on agriculture in the Roman empire.
His ''De re rustica'' in twelve volumes has been completely preserved and forms an important source on Roman agri ...
, quadrate
Quadrate may refer to:
* Quadrate bone
* Quadrate (heraldry)
* Quadrate lobe of liver
* Quadrate tubercle of femur
See also
*Quadrat (disambiguation)
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