Is the eardrum where sound waves directly vibrate?
Yes, the eardrum, or tympanic membrane, is where sound waves directly vibrate, transforming the energy of the sound waves into mechanical vibrations on the eardrum. These vibrations are then amplified by the three bones of the inner ear, the malleus (hammer), incus (anvil) and stapes (stirrup). Attached to the head of the stapes is the fluid filled cochlea which transforms the mechanical vibrations of the stapes into liquid, where the vibrations are then sensed by thousands of tiny cilia, or hair cells, which transduce the mechanical signal into a neurochemical one allowing the sound to be processed by the brain.
