*Body Cavities

Cranial Cavity (dorsal)

encases the brain

Spinal Cavity (dorsal)

runs through vertebral column to enclose spinal cord

Thoracic Cavity (ventral)

stores the heart and lungs w/ protective rib cage

Abdominopelvic Cavity (ventral)

houses superior abdominal & inferior pelvic

Serous Membrane/Serosa

a thin, double-layered membrane that covers the walls of the ventral body cavity. It also produces lubricating fluid to prevent friction

Parietal Serosa

outer layer of serous membrane

Visceral Serosa

inner layer of serous membrane that covers the organ

Peritoneum

abdominal cavity serosa

Pleura

serosa enclosing the lungs

Pericardium

serosa surrounding the heart

Synovial Cavities (joint cavity)

surrounds freely movable joints, contains synovial fluid produced by the synovial membrane

Middle Ear Cavities

lies medial to an eardrum and contains tiny bones that transmit sound vibrations to the hearing receptors

Nasal Cavity

Located within and posterior to the nose, the nasal cavity is part of the passages of the respiratory system

Orbital Cavity

cavities in the skull that house the eyes and present them in an anterior position

Oral Cavity (mouth)

contains the tongue + teeth and is continuous w/ the rest of the digestive tube (which opens to the exterior at the anus)

Abdominopelvic Cavity

divided into 9 regions

Umbilical Region

centermost region, small intestine

Epigastric Region

superior to the umbilical region; stomach

Pubic (hypogastric) Region

inferior to the umbilical region, urinary bladder

Inguinal/Iliac Region

Lateral to the hypogastric region

- appendix (right) & initial part of sigmoid colon (left)

Lateral (lumbar) Regions

lateral to the umbilical region

- contains ascending (right) + descending (left) colon of large intestine

Hypochondriac Regions

lateral to the epigastric region, spleen (left), liver (right)