Among the three auditory ossicles, which is both the smallest and the lightest?

• A Malleus
• B Stapes ✓
• C Incus
• D Lenticular process of the incus considered separately

Explanation

The stapes is the smallest bone in the human body, measuring about 3 mm in height and weighing roughly 2 to 3 mg. The malleus is the largest and heaviest ossicle at around 23 mg, and the incus is intermediate. The lenticular process is a part of the incus, not a separate ossicle, so option D is anatomically invalid. These relative sizes explain why the stapes footplate moves with minimal inertia.

Reference: Gray's Anatomy, 42nd ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.