Now in our 13th year of bringing you beautiful imagery from biomedical science every day

Search the archive of over 4000 images

Drumming Sound
30 October 2012

Drumming Sound

Have you ever experienced that uncomfortable feeling in your ears as an aeroplane takes off? The pressure change as we climb higher into the sky causes unpleasant sensations because our ears have not had time to adjust. Other than deep sea diving, flying is one of the few occasions when we’re aware of our eardrums. Known as the tympanic membrane by scientists, the eardrum separates the middle and inner ear from the environment and converts sound into vibrations that are further processed for our brain to register. Explosions and physical trauma to the ear can cause rupture of the membrane that may lead to infections and hearing difficulty. Some World War II pilots intentionally ruptured their eardrums to stop air pressure problems when flying and the Bajau tribe of the South Pacific do the same to facilitate deep sea diving, albeit often with severe consequences for their hearing.

Written by Georgina Askeland

  • Image originally published under Creative Commons (CC-BY-NC-ND); Courtesy of Wellcome Images

Search The Archive

Submit An Image

Follow on Tumblr

Follow on Instagram

What is BPoD?

BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

Read More

BPoD is also available in Catalan at www.bpod.cat with translations by the University of Valencia.