AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -The tympanic membrane is also called the eardrum. It separates the outer ear from the middle ear. When sound waves reach the tympanic membrane they cause it to vibrate. The vibrations are then transferred to the tiny bones in the middle ear.

Detailed explanation-2: -The eardrum is a thin flap of skin that stretches tight like a drum and vibrates when sound hits it.

Detailed explanation-3: -The tympanic membrane is comprised of three layers of tissue: the outer cutaneous layer, the fibrous middle layer, and a layer of mucous membrane on its innermost surface. The membrane is held in place by a thick ring of cartilage, a tough but flexible kind of tissue.

Detailed explanation-4: -The two primary functions of the eardrum are auditory and protective.

Detailed explanation-5: -The medical term for the ear drum is the tympanic membrane. The middle ear is connected to the nose by the eustachian tube, which equalizes pressure in the middle ear.