Lecture 12: Thorax 2 - Cavity Flashcards
Define Thoracic Cavity: What does it contain?
THORACIC CAVITY: the space enclosed by the thoracic wall, containing the mediastinum and the left and right pulmonary cavities
Define pulmonary cavity
Paired (left/right); located laterally in completely separate compartments containing the lungs and pleura
Define mediastinum location, and what important organs does it contain?
Unpaired; located centrally; important contents include the heart, great vessels, trachea, esophagus
Identify the indicated parts of the thoracic cavity
Identify the bounaries of the mediastinum
superior / inferior / anterior / posterior / lateral
- SUPERIOR: superior thoracic aperture
- INFERIOR: thoraco-abdominal diaphragm
- ANTERIOR: sternum and costal cartilages
- POSTERIOR: thoracic vertebrae
- LATERAL: left/right pulmonary cavities
Explain the locations of the superior and inferior mediastinum
SUPERIOR MEDIASTINUM: located between the superior thoracic aperture and a transverse plane through the sternal angle
INFERIOR MEDIASTINUM:
located between a transverse plane through the sternal angle and the thoraco-abdominal diaphragm
Use definitions of superior and inferior mediastinum to explain their locations in the diagram
SUPERIOR MEDIASTINUM: located between the superior thoracic aperture and a transverse plane through the sternal angle
INFERIOR MEDIASTINUM:
located between a transverse plane through the sternal angle and the thoraco-abdominal diaphragm
What are the 3 subdivisions of the inferior mediastinum?
Anterior, Middle and Posterior
Define the locations of the anterior, middle and posterior inferior mediastinum.
- Anterior mediastinum: between the sternum and the pericardium surrounding the heart
- Middle mediastinum: between the anterior mediastinum and the posterior mediastinum
- Posterior mediastinum: between the pericardium and the thoracic vertebrae
Identify indicated features of thoracic cavity
Identify indicated features
What are the contents of the superior mediastinum? 4 structures
- Trachea
- Esophagus (extends from superior to posterior mediastinum)
- Arch of the aorta
- Thymus (extends from superior to anterior mediastinum
Contents of the anterior mediastinum
Thymus (superior to anterior)
Contents of the middle mediastinum
- Pericardium
- Heart and associated structures
Contents of posterior mediastinum? 3 structures
- Esophagus
- Descending aorta
- Azygos venous system
What three subsections of the mediastinum comprise the inferior mediastinum?
Anterior, Middle and Posterior Mediastinum comprise the inferior mediastinum
Define pleural sac
PLEURAL SAC: the tissue that invests and encloses each lung; made up of pleura
Define pleurae, and what are the three layers?
Pleurae: (plural, singular = pleura) the membranous layers that surround the lung, forming the pleural sac
- Parietal Pleura
- Visceral Pleura
- Pleural Cavity
Define Parietal Pleura, and what structures it adheres to.
- PARIETAL PLEURA: outer layer; lines the pulmonary cavities; adheres to the thoracic wall, mediastinum, and diaphragm
What are the four named parts of the parietal pleura?
- Costal part (costal pleura)
- Mediastinal part (mediastinal pleura)
- Diaphragmatic part (diaphragmatic pleura)
- Cervical part (cervical pleura)
Parietal Pleura: Where is the costal part?
lines internal surfaces of the thoracic wall
Parietal Pleura: Where is the mediastinal part?
lines the lateral aspects of the mediastinum
Parietal Pleura: Where is the diaphragmatic part?
: lines the superior surface of the thoraco-abdominal diaphragm on either side of the mediastinum
Parietal Pleura: Where is the cervical part?
lines the superior most portion of each lung; extends into the root of the neck
Define Visceral Pleura
- VISCERAL PLEURA: inner layer; covers the lungs; adheres to all the surfaces of the lungs
Define pleural cavity
- PLEURAL CAVITY: the potential space between the parietal and visceral pleurae