ear ossicles
ear ossicles Three small bones – the incus (anvil), malleus (hammer), and stapes (stirrup) – that lie in the mammalian middle ear, forming a bridge between the tympanum (eardrum) and the oval window. The function of the ossicles is to transmit (and amplify) vibrations of the tympanum across the middle ear to the oval window, which transfers them to the inner ear. Muscles of the middle ear constrict the movement of the ossicles. This serves to safeguard the ear from damage caused by excessively loud noise.
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Malleus , mal·le·us / ˈmalēəs/ • n. (pl. mal·le·i / ˈmalēˌī; -ēˌē/ ) Anat. a small bone in the middle ear that transmits vibrations of the eardrum to the incus… middle , mid·dle / ˈmidl/ • adj. 1. at an equal distance from the extremities of something; central: the early and middle part of life middle and eastern Euro… Ear Ossicles , in·cus / ˈingkəs/ • n. (pl. in·cu·des / inˈkyoōˌdēz/ ) Anat. a small anvil-shaped bone in the middle ear, transmitting vibrations between the malleus… Oval Window , oval window (fenestra ovalis) A membrane-covered opening between the middle ear and the inner ear (see ear), situated above the round window. Vibrati… Middle Kingdom , Middle Kingdom or Middle Country, Mandarin Zhongguo, Chinese name for China. It dates from c.1000 BC, when it designated the Chou empire situated on… Middle Class , middle class. The middle class has been an influential and often enigmatic presence in British history since the early 19th cent. It first gained sus…
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ear ossicles