Ossicles facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ossicles |
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| Ossicles | |
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| Chain of ossicles and their ligaments, seen from the front in a vertical, transverse section of the tympanum. | |
| Latin | ossicula auditus; ossicula auditoria |
| Gray's | subject #231 1044 |
| MeSH | Ear+Ossicles |
| Dorlands/Elsevier | Ossicles |
The ossicles are three tiny bones found inside your ear. They are the smallest bones in the human body! You might also hear them called ear bones or auditory ossicles.
These special bones are located in the middle ear. Their main job is to help you hear. They take sound vibrations from the air and pass them into the fluid-filled inner ear, which includes the cochlea. Without these tiny bones, it would be very hard to hear, causing moderate to severe deafness.
What are the Ear Bones?
The ossicles are arranged in a chain, from your eardrum to your inner ear. They are called the malleus, incus, and stapes. Each name describes what the bone looks like:
- The malleus (say: MAL-ee-us) means "hammer." It is connected to your eardrum. When sound hits your eardrum, the malleus starts to vibrate.
- The incus (say: IN-kus) means "anvil." It sits between the malleus and the stapes. It passes the vibrations from the malleus to the stapes.
- The stapes (say: STAY-pees) means "stirrup." It is the smallest bone of the three. The stapes connects to a small opening called the oval window, which leads into your inner ear. It sends the vibrations further into your ear.
Together, these three bones work like a tiny bridge. They carry sound vibrations from your eardrum to the inner part of your ear, allowing you to hear sounds clearly.
How Ear Bones Develop
It's pretty cool how these tiny ear bones form! In young mammal embryos, the ear bones are actually connected to the lower jaw. They start out as soft cartilage, which is a flexible tissue.
As the embryo grows, this cartilage slowly turns into hard bone. This process is called ossification. Later, these newly formed bones break away from the jaw. They then move to their final spot in the middle ear. This is how the malleus, incus, and stapes become part of your hearing system.
Images for kids
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Anatomy of the three ossicles
See also
In Spanish: Huesecillos del oído para niños
