Which combining form denotes the tympanic membrane of the ear?

• A. Tympan/o
• B. Myring/o
• C. Ot/o
• D. Oto/o

Answer: (A)

Understanding the ear’s parts and the building blocks used to name them helps you pick the right combining form. The tympanic membrane, commonly called the eardrum, is the thin structure that marks the boundary between the external ear and the middle ear. The combining form tympan/o- comes from tympanum, meaning drum, and is used in terms that specifically reference the tympanic membrane and related middle-ear structures. Because of this direct link to the eardrum, tympan/o- is the best fit for denoting the tympanic membrane.

Note that myring/o- also refers to the eardrum and appears in terms like myringitis or myringoplasty, but in this context the term most directly tied to the tympanic membrane itself is tympan/o-. In contrast, ot/o or oto- refer to the ear in a broader sense rather than the membrane specifically.