eardrum

Also known as tympanic membrane, ear drum, myringa

In the anatomy of humans and various other tetrapods, the eardrum, also called the tympanic membrane or myringa, is a thin, cone-shaped membrane that separates the external ear from the middle ear. Its function is to transmit changes in pressure of sound from the air to the ossicles inside the middle ear, and thence to the oval window in the fluid-filled cochlea. The ear thereby converts and amplifies vibration in the air to vibration in cochlear fluid. The malleus bone bridges the gap between the eardrum and the other ossicles.

AI overview

Your eardrum is a thin, cone-shaped membrane inside your ear that separates your outer ear from your middle ear and plays a crucial role in hearing. When sound waves hit it, the eardrum vibrates and passes these vibrations along to tiny bones in your middle ear, which then transmit them to the fluid-filled part of your ear that allows you to actually perceive sound.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Anatomy.Name: Eardrum
Anatomy.Latin: membrana tympanica; myringa
Anatomy.Image: Blausen 0328 EarAnatomy.png
Anatomy.Image2: View-normal-tympanic-membrane.png
Anatomy.Caption2: Right eardrum as seen through a speculum

via Wikipedia infobox

Research

14,578 papers

Otitis media.ReviewNature reviews. Disease primers · 2016Schilder AG, Chonmaitree T, Cripps AW et al.DOI: 10.1038/nrdp.2016.63
Effect of eardrum perforation and chronic otitis media on the results of infrared tympanic thermometer in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Medicine · 2023Kim YH, Park HJ, Yoo JHDOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000035932
3D printing technology and applied materials in eardrum regeneration.ReviewJournal of biomaterials science. Polymer edition · 2023Hu H, Chen J, Li S et al.DOI: 10.1080/09205063.2022.2147350
Physical correlates of eardrum rupture.ReviewThe Annals of otology, rhinology & laryngology. Supplement · 1989Richmond DR, Yelverton JT, Fletcher ER et al.DOI: 10.1177/00034894890980s507
Eardrum regeneration: membrane repair.Nature · 2017Holmes DDOI: 10.1038/546S5a
The discordant eardrum.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2006Fay JP, Puria S, Steele CRDOI: 10.1073/pnas.0603898104
Mixed hearing loss with normal eardrum.European annals of otorhinolaryngology, head and neck diseases · 2021Fieux M, Podeur F, Tringali SDOI: 10.1016/j.anorl.2020.10.003
The inferiorly bulging eardrum.European annals of otorhinolaryngology, head and neck diseases · 2022Ciavarro G, Di Berardino F, Zanetti DDOI: 10.1016/j.anorl.2021.08.013

via PubMed

Wikidata facts

Image: Normal Tympanic Membrane Chorda Tympani Nerve Visible.jpg

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NCI Thesaurus ID: C12502
Commons category: Eardrum

Sources (8)

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~7 min read

Article

14 sections

Contents

Structure
Orientation and relations
Regions
Umbo
Nerve supply
Clinical significance
Examination
Rupture
Surgical puncture for treatment of middle ear infections
Society and culture
See also
Additional images
References
External links

Rupture or perforation of the eardrum can lead to conductive hearing loss. Collapse or retraction of the eardrum can cause conductive hearing loss or cholesteatoma.