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Human eardrum
Eardrum. Computer graphic showing the human ear- drum (tympanic membrane). This membrane is oval in shape, the upper half containing more blood vessels than the lower half. It lies at the end of the external ear canal (auditory meatus), and separates the outer and middle ear regions. When sound waves strike the tympanic membrane, it vibrates. These vibrations are transmitted to the malleus, one of the middle ear bones. From the middle ear, vibrations pass into the inner ear where the cochlear translates them into nerve impulses. The eardrum is thus the first structure of the ear which transforms waves of sound into vibrations for the purposes of hearing.
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