Final answer:
The Eustachian tube is the passage that connects the throat and the tympanic cavity, and it functions to equalize pressure across the eardrum.
Step-by-step explanation:
The passage between the throat and the tympanic cavity is called the Eustachian tube. This small passage plays a crucial role in equalizing pressure across the tympanic membrane, commonly known as the eardrum. The Eustachian tube is normally closed but opens during actions such as swallowing or yawning, to allow the pressure in the middle ear to equalize with the atmospheric pressure. This ensures proper functioning of the eardrum, allowing it to vibrate correctly in response to sound waves.
Audition, or hearing, involves the transduction of sound waves that travel through the ear canal, hit the eardrum, and are then transferred to the inner ear through a series of small bones in the middle ear, where they are eventually transformed into a neural signal.