Knowra Eardrum Eardrum The eardrum, or tympanic membrane, is a thin membrane separating the outer ear canal from the middle ear. Sound waves make it vibrate, transmitting motion to the middle-ear bones.
Tympanic membrane vibration : The sound-driven motion of the tympanic membrane, shaped by sound frequency and intensity. This motion is the eardrum’s direct response to incoming sound waves.
Outer ear : The visible ear and ear canal that collect and funnel sound toward the eardrum. The eardrum marks the boundary between the outer ear and middle ear.
Tympanic membrane perforation : A hole or tear in the tympanic membrane, caused by injury, infection, or pressure changes. A perforation disrupts the membrane’s sound-transmitting function.
Oval window : A membrane-covered opening between the middle ear and cochlea, moved by the stapes. Unlike the eardrum, it transmits vibration from the ossicles into inner-ear fluid.
Ossicles : The three small middle-ear bones—the malleus, incus, and stapes—that transmit sound vibrations. The malleus attaches to the eardrum and carries its motion onward.
External auditory canal : The passage that carries sound from the outer ear to the tympanic membrane. Sound reaches the eardrum through this canal.
Myringoplasty : Surgery that repairs a perforated tympanic membrane, usually with a tissue graft. It restores the eardrum’s barrier and can improve sound transmission.
Round window : A membrane-covered opening that allows pressure relief within the cochlea. It is an inner-ear pressure outlet, not the boundary between outer and middle ear.
Impedance matching : The transfer of energy between media with different acoustic impedances. The eardrum and ossicles help transfer sound energy from air into cochlear fluid.
Middle ear : The air-filled space between the eardrum and inner ear, containing the ossicles. The eardrum is the middle ear’s outer boundary.
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