The tympanic membrane (tympanum) in a frog functions as an external hearing structure that transmits sound waves from the environment to the inner ear. It is a large, oval-shaped membrane located just behind the eye, made of nonglandular skin. Unlike processing sound waves itself, the tympanic membrane vibrates in response to sound and passes these vibrations to the middle ear, which contains ossicles (the extrastapes and stapes) that amplify and convey the vibrations to the inner ear fluids
. This transmission allows the frog to detect sounds both in air and underwater, facilitating communication, predator detection, and locating prey. The tympanic membrane also serves as a protective barrier, preventing water and debris from entering the ear
. In summary, the tympanic membrane in frogs acts like an eardrum, converting sound waves into mechanical vibrations that are then transmitted through the middle ear to the inner ear for auditory processing
