Which combining form means eardrum, tympanum of the ear?

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

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is naming the specific ear structure in medical terms. The eardrum is the tympanic membrane, and the combining form that specifically relates to the eardrum (tympanum) is tympan/o. That root shows up in terms like tympanoplasty (surgical repair of the eardrum) and tympanometry (testing the eardrum’s movement). While ot/o refers to the ear in general, and myring/o is also used for the eardrum in some terms, tympan/o is the one that directly conveys the drum/tympanic aspect in many standard ear-related terms.