Body cavities 1 and 2 Flashcards
What do serous membranes do?
- Compartmentalize
- Allow movement, expansion and contraction of organs
- With a minuscule layer of fluid, create a lubricated potential space which is friction free
What is the thoracic cavity lined by?
(parietal) Pleura
What are the abdominal and pelvic cavities lined by?
The peritoneum
Visceral
Covers the organ
Parietal
Next to the wall
Pleural cavities
In-between the parietal and visceral layers
What are the compartments of the thoracic cavity?
- Left cavity
- Right cavity
- Mediastinum
Describe the covering of the left and right compartments
- Pleura covers the lungs and reflects onto itself around the root of the lung and covers the diaphragm and thoracic wall
- The left and right compartments are completely independent because the pleura is attached firmly to the root
What is the parietal pleura attached to?
- Thoracic wall
- Fascia at the throracic inlet, at the 1st rib and T1 (cervical fascia
- Fibrous pericardium and other mediastinal structures
- Diaphragm
Describe the mediastinum
- Space between the 2 pleural sacs, the sternum and costal cartilages, thoracic vertebrae and the diaphragm (superiorly, nothing)
- Highly mobile region, volume and pressure changes
- Filled with hollow organs
What is the border between the superior and inferior mediastinum?
The sternal angle
Where is the Superior mediastinum?
• Behind the manubrium, between the inlet and the plane between the sternal angle and T4/5
Where is the Inferior mediastinum?
- Inferior to the transverse plane through the sternal angle and the diaphragm
- Further divided into the anterior mediastinum, middle mediastinum and posterior mediastinum
Structures on the right of the mediastinum
- Related to the right atrium and veins
- Superior vena cava
- Arch of the azygos
- Inferior vena cava
Structures on the left of the mediastinum
- Related to the left ventricle and the arteries
- Left common carotid
- Left subclavian
- Arch of the aorta
- Thoracic aorta
Where is the Middle mediastinum and what does it contain
- Centrally located
- Contains the heart and the pericardium (origins of great vessels: ascending aorta, pulmonary trunk, vena cava) (terminal parts of the SVC and IVC)
- Contains phrenic nerves and some of the branches of the vagus
What is the pericardium
• Fibro-serous sac that encloses the heart and roots of the great vessels
What is the function of the pericardium?
- Compartmentalise
- Anchors the heart to the surrounding tissues without compromising cardiac movement
- Prevents the overfilling (over expansion) of the heart
What are the 2 layers of the pericardium?
- Fibrous pericardium (externally)
* Serous pericardium (internally, inside the fibrous)
Describe the fibrous pericardium
- The apex is fused with the adventitia of the great vessels
- Anteriorly, it is related and attached by the sterno-pericardial ligament to the body of the sternum and 3rd-6th costal cartilages
- Posteriorly, it is related to and attached to the pericardiovertebral ligaments to the 5th to 8th thoracic vertebrae
- Inferiorly, it blends with the central tendon of the diaphragm (pericardiophrenic ligament)
What is the purpose of the attachment of the pericardium to the diaphragm?
• Halts the descent of the diaphragm during inspiration because of the suspension of the heart
Describe the serous pericardium
• Two layers: parietal and visceral
• Parietal:
- Lines the inner aspect of the fibrous pericardium
- reflects onto itself around the roots of the great vessels and continues as the visceral layer= epicardium
Describe the pericardial cavity
- Between the parietal and visceral layers of serous pericardium
- Contains pericardial fluid
Describe the pericardial fluid
- 10-15ml
- produced by the serous pericardium
- reduces friction during contraction of the heart
What is pericardial tamponade?
- When fluid in the pericardium builds up, resulting in compression of the heart
- Beck’s triad: distant heart sounds, distended neck veins, decreased pulse pressure
- Hypotension
- Tachycardia
- Tachypnoea
What are the two sinuses in the serous pericardium?
- Transverse pericardial sinus (sinus of Theile)
* Oblique sinus