tympanic membrane
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- The thin, cone-shaped membrane that separates the external ear from the middle ear and vibrates in response to sound waves: The tympanic membrane, also known as the eardrum, is a crucial part of the auditory system that transmits sound vibrations to the ossicles of the middle ear.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The doctor examined her tympanic membrane with an otoscope.
- A perforated tympanic membrane can lead to hearing loss and susceptibility to ear infections.
- Sound waves cause the tympanic membrane to vibrate.
Advanced Usage
- Medical/Anatomical Context: The term is primarily used in formal, medical, or scientific discussions about hearing and ear anatomy.
- The surgery successfully repaired the ruptured tympanic membrane.
Variants and Related Words
- Eardrum (noun): The common, non-technical synonym for the tympanic membrane.
- He felt pain in his eardrum after the loud concert.
- Myringa (noun): A less common medical term for the tympanic membrane.
- Tympanum (noun): An archaic or poetic term for the eardrum or middle ear.
Synonyms
- Eardrum: The most frequent and accessible synonym.
- Myringa: A technical synonym used in medical literature.
Related Phrases and Terms
- Tympanic cavity: The small, air-filled chamber in the temporal bone of the skull that contains the ossicles and is medial to the tympanic membrane.
- Tympanic membrane perforation: A hole or tear in the eardrum.
- Tympanoplasty: A surgical procedure to repair a damaged tympanic membrane.
Noun
- the membrane in the ear that vibrates to sound