Body Cavities

Question 1

The ______ cavity is located in the head and surrounded by the skull. Contains the brain, the pituitary gland (an endocrine gland located below the brain)

Answer 1

cranial cavity
(crani/o means skull)

Question 2

The ______ cavity is surrounded by the breastbone and the ribs.

Answer 2

thoracic cavity
(thorac/o means chest)

I’m the thoracic (chest) cavity: lungs, heart, windpipe, bronchial tubes etc.

**lungs are surrounded by a double membrane called the pleura. The space between the pleural membranes is the pleural cavity. The large area between the lungs is the mediastinum. The heart, esophagus, trachea, and bronchial tubes are organs within the mediastinum.

Question 3

The ______ cavity is the space below the thoracic cavity. Organs include: stomach, liver, gallbladder, and small and large intestines.

Answer 3

abdominal cavity

The diaphragm is the muscle that separates the abdominal and thoracic cavities.

The organs in the abdomen are covered by a double membrane called the peritoneum.

Question 4

The ____ is below the abdominal cavity. Major organs within the cavity include the urinary bladder, turrets, urethra, rectum, uterus and anus.

Answer 4

pelvic cavity

Question 5

The ____ cavity is the space surrounded by the spinal column.

Answer 5

spinal cavity

• Spinal cord = nervous tissue within the spinal cavity
• Spinal column = long row of bones from the neck to the tailbone
• Vertebra = each bone in the spinal column. Two or more bones are called vertebrae.
• Disc = peice of connective tissue composed of cartilage, cushion between bones.