Tympanic membrane, also called eardrum, thin layer of tissue in the human ear that receives sound vibrations from the outer air and transmits them to the auditory ossicles, which are tiny bones in the tympanic (middle-ear) cavity.
The eardrum has three layers: the outer layer, inner layer, and middle layer. The middle layer is made of fibers that give the eardrum elasticity and stiffness. Cartilage holds the eardrum in place.
The eardrum covers the end of the external ear canal and looks like a flattened cone with its tip pointed inward toward the middle ear. It is transparent and is about the size of a dime.
The eardrum divides the outer ear from the middle ear. The eardrum sits between the end of the external ear canal and the auditory ossicles, which are three tiny bones in the middle ear, called the malleus, incus, and stapes.
Sometimes an infection may cause the eardrum to rupture. Symptoms of a ruptured eardrum include hearing loss, ear pain, itching, and fluid draining from the ear. Usually, eardrums that rupture heal on their own.
Picture Credit : Google
