ossicles – three tiny bones in the ear that transmit sound vibrations

(Pronounced oss-ih-kuls)

Note: The three ossicles are the malleus, incus, and stapes.

To remember the meaning of ossicles, use the following mnemonic:

Can you hear (ear) that? It's an ostrich on a bicycle (ossicles) bringing mallets to each of us (malleus), as well as ink to us (incus) and staples (stapes). 

The mallet (malleus) was used to secure the ink (incus) drawings to the picture frame using staples (stapes).

Ossicles are three tiny bones located in the middle ear that form the smallest bones in the human body and play a crucial role in the process of hearing by transmitting and amplifying sound vibrations from the outer ear to the inner ear. When sound waves cause the eardrum to vibrate, these movements are transferred through the chain of ossicles, which act as a mechanical lever system that amplifies the vibration by approximately 20 times before transmitting them to the fluid filled inner ear. This amplification is essential because sound waves must transition from travelling through the air to travelling through the denser fluid of the inner ear, and without this mechanical advantage, much of the sound energy would be lost. 

The three ossicles also have different names based on their distinctive shapes. The malleus is known as the hammer, the incus is known as the anvil, and the stapes is known as the stirrup.