The malleus, incus, and stapes (the hammer, the anvil, and the stirrup) are the three smallest bones in the human body, how are they collectively known?
Ossicles stirrups. Ossicles The ossicles (also called auditory ossicles) are three bones in either middle ear that are among the smallest bones in the human body. They serve to transmit sounds from the air to the fluid-filled labyrinth (cochlea). The absence of the auditory ossicles would constitute a moderate-to-severe hearing loss. 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, incus, and stapes (hammer, anvil, and stirrup) of the middle ear. The ossicles are, in order from the eardrum to the inner ear (from superficial
Incus crus attaches to the posterior ligament of the incus. The long crus articulates with the stapes at the lenticular process. The superior ligament of the incus attaches at the body of the incus to the roof of the tympanic cavity. Vibrations in the middle ear are received via the tympanic membrane. The malleus, resting on the membrane, conveys vibrations to the incus. This in turn conveys vibrations to the stapes. "Incus" means "anvil" in Latin. Several sources attribute the discovery of the incus to the anatomist and philosopher Alessandro Achillini. The first brief written description of the "incus" was by