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Nervous system & sense organs

Tympanic membrane

Membrana tympanica

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System
Nervous system & sense organs
Regions
Head
Side
Left and right
Part of
External ear
Tympanic membrane (Membrana tympanica) highlighted in a 3D model of the human body
3D model: Z-Anatomy - The libre 3D atlas of anatomy - CC-BY-SA 4.0

DescriptionUnreviewed

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 sound from the air to the ossicles inside the middle ear, and then to the oval window in the fluid-filled cochlea.

Hence, it ultimately converts and amplifies vibration in air to vibration in cochlear fluid.

The malleus bone bridges the gap between the eardrum and the other ossicles.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.

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Source: Wikipedia · Text licence: CC BY-SA 3.0 · This text comes from the source data and has not been reviewed by a person yet.

Names

Latin
Membrana tympanica
English
Tympanic membrane
French
Membrane tympanique
Spanish
Membrana timpánica
Portuguese
Membrana do tímpano