Abstract
If we consider those middle ears with a bony wall, the structure can be simplified (Fig. 6). Basically a rigid wall and a membrane enclose a certain volume of air. A connection between the volume inside and outside equalizes differences in static pressure. In mammals this connection is the Eustachian tube; in technical systems, e. g., condenser microphones, it is a capillary. The membrane has a stiffness due to its tension as well as a mass. Because the ossicular chain is attached to the tympanic membrane, it also contributes to both elasticity and mass of the membrane.
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© 1978 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Fleischer, G. (1978). Volume of the Middle Ear Cavity. In: Evolutionary Principles of the Mammalian Middle Ear. Advances in Anatomy, Embryology and Cell Biology, vol 55/5. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-67143-2_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-67143-2_4
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-09140-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-67143-2
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