incus

(noun)

small anvil-shaped bone in the middle ear; connects the malleus to the stapes

Related Terms

Examples of incus in the following topics:

  • Reception of Sound

    • The three ossicles are the malleus (also known as the hammer), the incus (the anvil), and stapes (the stirrup).
    • The incus attaches the malleus to the stapes.
    • If we did not have the malleus and the incus, then the vibrations of the tympanum would never reach the inner ear.

  • Characteristics of Mammals

    • Mammals have three: the malleus, incus, and stapes.
    • The malleus originated from the articular bone, whereas the incus originated from the quadrate bone.

  • Human Axial Skeleton

    • The auditory ossicles consist of six bones: two malleus bones, two incus bones, and two stapes, one of each on each side.

  • Transduction of Sound

    • The middle ear exists between the tympanic membrane (the boundary with the outer ear) and the oval window (the boundary with the inner ear) and consists of three bones: the malleus (meaning hammer), the incus (meaning anvil), and the stapes (meaning stirrup).