tympanic membrane

Table of Contents

Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images & Videos

Black-and-white photo of a man in a suit plugging his ears with his fingers. An orange polka dot pattern is behind his head.

Watch sound wave vibrations in the tympanic membrane

human ear canal

Know how human ears help to perceive and distinguish sounds

Understand the science of hearing and how humans and other mammals perceive sound

Read Next

Human ear closeup

Why Do We Have Earwax?

Cell transport - illustration of a diffusion of liquid molecules through cell membrane. Phospholibid bilayer

Fast Facts about the Cell Membrane

Nuthatch. nuthatch and creeper. bird. Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) a small songbird in mid-winter. Near Fairmont Hot Springs, BC, Canada.

How Do Birds Hear?

H1N1 influenza virus particles. Colorized transmission electron micrograph. Surface proteins on surface of the virus particles shown in black. Influenza flu

10 Ways of Looking at Cells

Endoplasmic reticulum. cell biology

6 Cell Organelles

Discover

Horses. Equus caballus. Horse stable. A brown horse looks out from his stall through the window.

Horsing Around: 7 of the Weirdest Racehorse Names in History

Secret Service Agent Listens To Earpiece

Secret Service Code Names of 11 U.S. Presidents

The Lost Colony of Roanoke, North Carolina, where 115 people mysteriously disappeared c. 1590. John White discovers the word Croatoan carved onto a tree upon his return to the deserted Roanoke Colony in 1590

The Lost Colony of Roanoke

African Americans demonstrating for voting rights in front of the White House as police and others watch, March 12, 1965. One sign reads, "We demand the right to vote everywhere." Voting Rights Act, civil rights.

Timeline of the American Civil Rights Movement

Shah Jahan. Taj Mahal. Mughal architecture. Emperor Shah Jahan fifth Mughal Emperor (reigned 1628-1658) India, Himachal Pradesh, Basohli or Jammu and Kashmir, Mankot, circa 1690 Drawings; Opaque watercolor, gold, and ink on paper (see notes)

6 Important Mughal Emperors

King Cobra snake in Malaysia. (reptile)

9 of the World’s Deadliest Snakes

Ice Sledge Hockey, Hockey Canada Cup, USA (left) vs Canada, 2009. UBC Thunderbird Arena, Vancouver, BC, competition site for Olympic ice hockey and Paralympic ice sledge hockey. Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Vancouver Olympics

10 Best Hockey Players of All Time

tympanic membrane: Facts & Related Content

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

News •

The hidden role of auricular muscles in listening effort • Feb. 3, 2025, 9:57 PM ET (News-Medical)

Facts

Also Known As	eardrum • eardrum membrane

Photos and Videos

human ear canal

Black-and-white photo of a man in a suit plugging his ears with his fingers. An orange polka dot pattern is behind his head.

Watch sound wave vibrations in the tympanic membrane

Know how human ears help to perceive and distinguish sounds

Understand the science of hearing and how humans and other mammals perceive sound

See All Videos and Images →

Topics

pars tensa umbo pars flaccida membrane middle ear meninges ear bone mucous membrane eustachian tube peritoneum mesentery endoplasmic reticulum villus microvillus cell membrane

Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

human ear: Tympanic membrane and middle ear

Quiz

Model of a molecule. Atom, Biology, Molecular Structure, Science, Science and Technology. Homepage 2010 arts and entertainment, history and society

What Lies Beneath the Skin: A Human Anatomy Quiz

Superficial arteries and veins of face and scalp, cardiovascular system, human anatomy, (Netter replacement project - SSC)

The Human Body

Demystified

Human ear closeup

Why Do We Have Earwax?