Body Cavities and Abdominopelvic Subdivisions

Vocabulary flashcards covering body cavities, membranes, and the abdominal/pelvic region divisions (nine regions and four quadrants).

Cranial cavity

Space inside the skull that contains the brain; continuous with the vertebral canal.

Vertebral canal

Space within the vertebral column that houses the spinal cord; continuous with the cranial cavity.

Meninges

Protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord; sheets of connective tissue.

Meningitis

Inflammation of the meninges, often due to infection.

Thoracic cavity

Chest cavity that houses the lungs and heart; contains pleurae and mediastinum.

Pleura

Serous membranes surrounding each lung.

Mediastinum

Space between the two pleural cavities; contains the heart, first part of the aorta, esophagus, and trachea.

Esophagus

Tube carrying food from the mouth/pharynx to the stomach within the mediastinal region.

Trachea

Airway that carries air to and from the lungs within the mediastinum.

Pericardium

Membrane surrounding the heart.

Peritoneum

Largest serous membrane; covers most abdominal/pelvic structures and lines the cavity.

Abdominopelvic cavity

Large body cavity housing abdominal and pelvic organs; divided conceptually into abdominal and pelvic regions without a hard barrier.

Abdominal cavity

Upper portion of the abdominopelvic cavity from the diaphragm to near the hips.

Pelvic cavity

Lower portion of the abdominopelvic cavity within the pelvic bones.

Diaphragm

Muscle sheet that separates the thoracic from the abdominal cavity.

Nine-region division

Anatomical map of the abdomen drawn as a tic-tac-toe board using two vertical (midclavicular) lines and two horizontal lines (subcostal and trans tubercular).

Midclavicular lines

Vertical lines drawn from the midpoints of the clavicles to create the nine-region grid.

Subcostal line

Horizontal line drawn below the costal margins to help subdivide the abdomen.

Trans tubercular line

Horizontal line drawn across the abdomen at the level of the iliac tubercle for the nine-region map.

Iliac tubercle

Prominent bump on the iliac crest used as a landmark for the transtubercular line.

Right hypochondriac region

Top-right region of the nine-region map; below the costal cartilage.

Epigastric region

Top-middle region; located above the stomach.

Left hypochondriac region

Top-left region of the nine-region map; beneath the left ribs.

Right lumbar region

Middle-right region in the nine-region map.

Umbilical region

Center region of the nine-region map surrounding the umbilicus (navel).

Left lumbar region

Middle-left region in the nine-region map.

Right inguinal region

Lower-right region in the nine-region map; near the groin.

Pubic region

Lower-middle region of the nine-region map near the pelvis; associated with the pubic area.

Left inguinal region

Lower-left region in the nine-region map; near the groin.

Four-quadrant division

Clinical simplification dividing the abdomen into four quadrants using the median line and transumbilical line.

Right upper quadrant

Upper-right quadrant; commonly includes liver and gallbladder.

Left upper quadrant

Upper-left quadrant; commonly includes stomach and spleen.

Right lower quadrant

Lower-right quadrant; contains portions of intestines and reproductive organs in females.

Left lower quadrant

Lower-left quadrant; contains portions of intestines and sometimes reproductive organs.