Ear Anatomy Images

Normal Right Ear Drum
The ear drum is often transparent and looks like a stretched piece of clear plastic. The drum is approximately the size of a dime, with the newborn ear drum the same size as the adult. The malleus is the middle ear bone which is attached to the drum and easily identified. The middle ear space can be seen through the ear drum and a portion of the incus (another middle ear bone) can be identified.

Normal Left Ear Drum
This is a left ear drum of a ten year old. The drum looks healthy and has a nice gray color to it.

Eustachian Tube Opening
The image is of a normal nasopharynx and the opening to the Eustachian tube. The Eustachian tube goes from the back of the nose (nasopharynx) to the middle ear. Normally the tube remains closed and opens when you swallow, yell or pop your ear with a Valsalva Maneuver.
See appendix I: How to “pop” your ears.

Ear Anatomy
34 year old female with large posterior Tympanic Membrane perforation (Hole in the ear drum)