Major Body Cavities/Areas of the Body

Viscera

Membranes and organs in body cavity

Visceral layer

Inside lining of serous membrane

Parietal layer

Outside layer of serous membrane

Serous membrane

Thin, double-layered tissue that lines closed body cavities and covers the internal organs within them

Cranial cavity

Head cavity

All organs in cranial cavity

Brain

Vertebral canal

Spine

All organs in vertebral canal

Spinal cord

Thoracic cavity

Lung area cavity

All organs in thoracic cavity

Heart and lungs

Diaphragm

Muscle separating thoracic and abdominal cavities

Abdominal cavity

Abdomen area

All organs in abdominal cavity

stomach, liver, gallbladder, spleen, pancreas, small intestine, kidneys, large intestine, and adrenal glands

Meninges

Lining of the brain and spinal cord

Pleural cavities

area between inner and outer membrane wall surrounding the lungs

Pericardial cavity

Area between partial and visceral layers of the pericardium and contains pericardial fluid

Visceral pleura

forms external surface of the lung

Parietal pleura

Lines the inside of the rib cage

Pelvic cavity

Contains the rectum, urinary bladder, urethra, and reproductive organs

Peritoneum

Two layered serous membrane that lines the abdominopelvic cavity

Parietal peritoneum

Outer layer of abdominopelvic cavity that lines the cavity wall

Visceral peritoneum

inner layer that lines abdominal organs, holding them in place and covering some organs

Peritoneal cavity

space between the parietal and visceral layers of peritoneum and is lubricated by peritoneal fluid

Retroperitoneal

Organs of the abdominal cavity that lie against the posterior body wall and are covered by peritoneum only on the side facing the peritoneal cavity

Examples of retroperitoneal organs

Kidneys, ureters, adrenal glands, most of the pancreas, aorta and inferior vena cava

Intraperitoneal

organs that are encircled by peritoneum and connected to the posterior body wall by peritoneal sheets

Mesentery

points of the visceral peritoneum where it forms a translucent, membranous curtain suspending and anchoring the viscera

Serosa

points where the visceral peritoneum enfolds and covers the outer surfaces of organs such as the stomach and small intestine

Pericardium

Membrane layer that surrounds the pericardial cavity

Peritoneum

Membrane layer that surrounds the pericardial cavity

Pleurae

Membrane layer that surrounds lungs in pleural cavity

Mediastinum

Divides the thoracic cavity, occupied by the heart, esophagus, the trachea and bronchi, and the thymus

Axial region

consists of the head, neck, and trunk

Trunk

Thoracic region and abdominal region

What are the quadrants of the abdomen?

Right upper quadrant, left upper quadrant, right lower quadrant, left lower quadrant

Midclavicular line

Lines that divide the abdominopelvic regions, run through the clavicle

Subcostal line

divides the abdominopelvic regions from epigastric to umbilical through the bottom ribs

Intertubercular line

Divides the abdominopelvic regions umbilical and hypogastric, through tubercle of the pelvis

Appendicular region

Consists of the upper and lower limbs including arm, forearm, carpal, hand, fingers, thigh, leg, ankle, foot and toes

Segment of a limb

area on limbs between joints

Posterior mesentery

Holds the intestines to the posterior body wall, mesocolon

Mesocolon

Posterior mesentery of the large intestine

Anterior mesentery

mesentery that continues to the anterior wall of the abdominopelvic cavity, ex. greater omentum

Lesser omentum

Fatty membrane that covers from stomach up to liver

Greater omentum

Fatty membrane that hangs like an apron over the intestines, anterior mesentery

Potential spaces

Spaces between body membranes because under normal conditions, the membranes are pressed firmly together and there is no actual space between them. Since they are not actually connected by membrane, under unusual conditions they can fill with fluid or other matter

Examples of a potential space

Pleura and lumen (internal cavity of uterus)