The eardrum converts air pressure changes into mechanical middle-ear vibrations

Evidence

The tympanic membrane is a light, thin, highly elastic structure which forms the boundary between the outer and middle ears. It consists of three layers: the outside layer, which is a continuation of the skin lining of the auditory canal, the inside layer, which is continuous with the mucous lining of the middle ear, and the layer in between these, which is a fibrous structure that gives the tympanic membrane its strength and elasticity. The tympanic membrane converts acoustic pressure variations from the outside world into mechanical vibrations in the middle ear. — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 520

Categorization

• DEFINE: Explains the three-layer construction and boundary-transducing function of the tympanic membrane.
• XREF: connects to: Sound becomes mechanical movement via the eardrum and ossicle chain — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 524