Which term refers to the eardrum?

Which term refers to the eardrum?

• A. Tympanic Membrane
• B. Cochlea
• C. Ossicle
• D. Malleus

Answer: (A)

The eardrum is the tympanic membrane. It’s a thin, cone-shaped membrane that sits at the boundary between the outer ear and the middle ear and vibrates in response to sound waves. Those vibrations set the middle-ear bones (the ossicles) into motion, starting with the malleus (hammer), and this mechanical energy is then transmitted to the inner ear where it’s transformed into nerve signals. The cochlea is the inner-ear structure that converts those vibrations into electrical signals the brain can interpret. So the tympanic membrane specifically refers to the eardrum.

The eardrum is the tympanic membrane. It’s a thin, cone-shaped membrane that sits at the boundary between the outer ear and the middle ear and vibrates in response to sound waves. Those vibrations set the middle-ear bones (the ossicles) into motion, starting with the malleus (hammer), and this mechanical energy is then transmitted to the inner ear where it’s transformed into nerve signals. The cochlea is the inner-ear structure that converts those vibrations into electrical signals the brain can interpret. So the tympanic membrane specifically refers to the eardrum.