Introduction to Anatomy: Body Wall

Question 1

Name the body cavities (and the functions of A and B)

Answer 1

Body Cavities

A) Dorsal (posterior) cavity: Protects the nervous system

• Cranial Cavity
• Spinal Cavity

B) Ventral (anterior) cavity: has visceral organs

• Thoracic cavity
  
  • Pleural (lungs)
  • Mediastinum (heart, esophagus, trachea)
• Abdomino-pelvic cavity
  
  • Abdominal (stomach, intestine, liver, spleen)
  • Pelvic (bladder, reproductive organs, rectum)

Question 2

What is unique about the ventral cavity and why does it have this feature?

Answer 2

Has serous membrane

has because needs to be frictionless

(not in dorsal cavity)

Question 3

What is serous membrane called in each of the ventral cavities

Answer 3

Thoracic cavity = pleura

Abdomino-pelvic cavity = paritenium

Question 4

Internal Fascia

Answer 4

• The fascia lining the ventral (anterior) cavity
• The “glue” that holds together the serous membrane and musculature of body wall
  
  • because serous membrane cannot adhere to walls unless connected via internal fascia
• Type of connective tissue
• In thoracic cavity = endothoracic
• In abdomino-pelvic cavity = endoabdominal

Question 5

Fascia (Somatic body layers)

Answer 5

• Loose or dense irregular connective tissue
• Forms fascial compartments and planes

Types:

• Subcutaneous tissue (superficial fascia)
• Deep fascia
  
  • Investing fascia

Question 6

Superficial fascia (subcutaneous tissue/adipose/fat/hypodermis)

Answer 6

• Loose connective tissue (fascia)
• Deep to dermis
• Contains various amounts of fat, nerves, vessels

Question 7

Deep fascia

Answer 7

• Dense connective tissue (fascia)
• Deep to skin and subcutaneous tissue
• Devoid of fat

Question 8

Investing fascia

Answer 8

• Type of deep fascia
• Extensions of deep fascia that “invest” or surround skeletal muscle

Question 9

Fascial plane

Answer 9

• natural planes of separation that occur between two adjacent fascial layers
• when you go from one type of fascia to another
• these fascial planes constitute “potential spaces” in the body that in certain disease state or oathological conditions can be filled with air, infectious material, and/or blood

Question 10

Body Organization: Limbs Tissue Layers

Answer 10

A = superficial fascia

• contains veins and nerves
• highly layered with adipocytes (very little collagen)

B = deep investing fascia

• wraps around each individual muscle so can work independently as units (also surrounds full section so can use as one use as well) = functional skeletal muscle
  
  • muscle cannot do anything unless it has fascial connection to bone
• fascia envelops all of our vessels and nerves
  
  • allows safe passage of these to travel within our extremities
  • fascia also connecting the vasculature, making a neurovascular bundle