tympanic membrane
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Medical, Acronyms, Wikipedia.
Related to tympanic membrane: Tympanic membrane perforation
tympanic membrane
the thin translucent oval membrane separating the external ear from the middle ear. It transmits vibrations produced by sound waves, via the ossicles, to the cochlea
Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.
Tympanic Membrane
eardrum, a thin layer of connective tissue and epithelium covering the opening of the tympanic cavity in the ear of terrestrial vertebrates and man. The tympanic membrane is absent in caudate and legless amphibians and burrowing snakes. Sound waves on striking the membrane cause it to vibrate. The vibrations are then transmitted to the inner ear mostly by the auditory ossicles. The membrane is divided into three concentric zones in mammals and man because of the uneven action of forces on some of its parts: medial (which moves without becoming deformed), intermediate (the most delicate and strongly vibrated), and lateral (hinged, movable).
G. N. SIMKIN
The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
tympanic membrane
[tim′pan·ik ′mem‚brān] (anatomy)
The membrane separating the external from the middle ear. Also known as eardrum; tympanum.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.