Gable - How It's Made and How It Works

What is the eardrum? AnatomyFunction Diseases of the eardrum

Generality

The eardrum, or tympanic membrane, is the thin, transparent and oval-shaped membrane, which lies between the external ear and the middle ear, and which guarantees the passage of sounds from the external auditory canal to the three ossicles.

Fundamental to auditory perception, the eardrum has two anatomically relevant regions: the pars tensa, which represents the largest and most important region, and the pars flaccida, which is less extensive than the pars tensa and has a more marginal function.
Despite its small size, the eardrum is a very resistant and finely innervated structure. The nerve structures that innervate the eardrum include: the auriculotemporal nerve, the chord of the eardrum, the auricular branch of the vagus nerve and the tympanic nerve.
The eardrum can be subject to ruptures / perforations and some morbid conditions, such as cholesteatoma.