external auditory meatus
tympanic membrane
The tympanic membrane, also known as the eardrum, is the part of the ear that converts sound waves into vibrations. When sound waves reach the eardrum, it vibrates and transmits these vibrations to the middle ear.
Tympanic Membrane
The eardrum, also known as the tympanic membrane, is the thin membrane in the ear that vibrates when sound waves reach it. These vibrations are then transmitted to the middle and inner ear for further processing.
Pressure waves (fluctuations) in air.
Pressure waves (fluctuations) in air.
The tympanic membrane, also known as the eardrum, converts sound waves into vibrations. These vibrations are then transmitted to the middle ear bones, which amplify and transmit the sound to the inner ear for further processing.
Mechanical energy in the form of sound waves is imparted onto the tympanic membrane. The sound waves cause the membrane to vibrate, which in turn transmits the vibrations through the middle ear to the inner ear, where they are converted into electrical signals for the brain to interpret as sound.
When sound hits a thin membrane, the membrane vibrates, causing it to produce sound waves in the air. The frequency of the sound produced will depend on the vibrational frequency of the membrane. This phenomenon is commonly observed in musical instruments like drums or cymbals.
The auricle or pinna of the outer ear acts like a horn to capture the sound waves which are then tunneled into the auditory canal and strike the tympanic membrane (eardrum).
When a sound is made outside the outer ear, the sound waves, or vibrations, travel down the external auditory canal and strike the eardrum (tympanic membrane). The eardrum vibrates. The vibrations are then passed to 3 tiny bones in the middle ear called the ossicles. The ossicles amplify the sound.
The eardrum, also known as the tympanic membrane, is the first structure to be set in motion by sound waves as they arrive through the outer ear. The sound waves cause the eardrum to vibrate, which sets off a chain reaction that allows us to hear.