Tympanic Membrane

The eardrum, separating the ear canal from the middle ear

Overview

The tympanic membrane, or eardrum, is a thin, cone shaped, semi transparent membrane at the end of the ear canal. Sound waves make it vibrate, and the malleus, attached to its inner surface, passes those vibrations into the ossicular chain. It has three layers: skin on the outside, a fibrous middle layer, and mucosa on the inside. On otoscopy a healthy drum appears pearly grey with a characteristic cone of reflected light. It can heal after many perforations, and the skin of the drum migrates outward, helping the ear canal to clean itself.