CAVITY ORGANS Flashcards
cranial cavity
brain surrounded by the skull and pituitary gland
thoracic cavity
space in the chest containing the trachea, esophagus, bronchial tubes, heart, aorta, lungs, and thymus gland
how many smaller cavities is the thoracic cavity divided into?
two
pleural cavity
space surrounding each lung; pleura is a double membrane for protection
pleuritis or pleurisy
inflamed pleura (may fill with fluid)
what is it called when the pleural cavity fills with fluid?
pleural effusion
mediastinum cavity
centrally located space outside of and between the lungs
what does the mediastinum contain?
heart, aorta, trachea, esophagus, thymus gland, bronchial tubes, and lymph nodes
Abdominal cavity or “peritoneal cavity”
the space below the chest: contains stomach, small and large intestines, spleen, pancreas, liver and gallbladder
what divides/separates the abdominal and thoracic cavities?
the diaphragm
what is the diaphragm?
a muscular wall that divides the abdominal and thoracic cavities
peritoneum
double-folded protective membrane surrounding the abdominal cavity; it attaches abdominal viscera to muscles
what does the peritoneum do?
it attaches the abdominal organs to the abdominal muscles and surrounds each organ to hold it in place
pelvic cavity
BELOW ABDOMEN; contains portions of the small and large intestines, rectum, urinary bladder, urethra, ureters, uterus, and vagina
spinal cavity
backbones; nerves of the spinal cord
