Medical term:

ossicle


ossicle

 [os´ĭ-k'l]
a small bone, especially one of those in the middle ear. adj., adj ossic´ular.
auditory o's the small bones of the middle ear, the incus, malleus, and stapes. (See Plates.)
Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition. © 2003 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.

os·si·cle

(os'i-kĕl), [TA]
A small bone; specifically, one of the bones of the tympanic cavity or middle ear.
Synonym(s): ossiculum [TA], bonelet
[L. ossiculum, dim. of os, bone]
Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

ossicle

(ŏs′ĭ-kəl)
n.
A small bone, especially one of the three bones of the middle ear.
os·sic′u·lar (ŏ-sĭk′yə-lər), os·sic′u·late (-lĭt) adj.
The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2007, 2004 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

os·si·cle

(os'i-kĕl) [TA]
A small bone; specifically, one of the bones of the tympanic cavity or middle ear.
Synonym(s): bonelet, ossiculum.
[L. ossiculum, dim. of os, bone]
Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing © Farlex 2012

ossicle

A small bone, especially one of the tiny bones, the auditory ossicles, in the middle ear that link the ear-drum to the inner ear. >From the outside-in, the auditory ossicles are the malleus, the incus and the stapes.
Collins Dictionary of Medicine © Robert M. Youngson 2004, 2005

ossicle

any of the bones in the middle ear connecting the eardrum to the oval window. In mammals there are three ossicles (MALLEUS, INCUS and STAPES). In reptiles, birds, and many amphibians, only a single bone (the COLUMELLA AURIS) is present.
Collins Dictionary of Biology, 3rd ed. © W. G. Hale, V. A. Saunders, J. P. Margham 2005

os·si·cle

(os'i-kĕl) [TA]
Small bone; specifically, a bone of tympanic cavity or middle ear.
[L. ossiculum, dim. of os, bone]
Medical Dictionary for the Dental Professions © Farlex 2012

auditory ossicles

The 3 diminutive bones of the middle ear. The malleus is attached to the inner face of the tympanic membrane at the manubrium and articulates at its head with the body of the incus; the incus in turn articulates at its lenticular process with the head of the stapes; the stapes is attached at its base by a ligamentous ring to the oval window of the vestibule. Sound waves channelled though the external acoustic canal (auditory duct) to the tympanic membrane are amplified by the auditory ossicles.

The vibrations received at the oval window are passed down the cochlea; the relative movement of the basilar and tectorial membranes leads to deflection of the stereocilia of the hair cells in the organ of Corti, which generates an influx of K+ ions and production of electrical signals that travel via the cochlear nerve to the auditory complex.
Segen's Medical Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.

Ossicles

The three small bones of the middle ear: the malleus (hammer), the incus (anvil) and the stapes (stirrup). These bones help carry sound from the eardrum to the inner ear.
Mentioned in: Otitis Media, Stapedectomy
Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

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