When you study the body cavities, think of a backpack. The backpack has empty spaces called pouches. Some are big. Some are small. The body has empty spaces inside it as well, but they are not called pouches. They are called cavities.
The body has two main cavities. The Dorsal cavity and the Ventral cavity. The dorsal cavity is also called the posterior cavity because it is at the back of the body. The ventral cavity is also called the anterior cavity because it is at the front of the body.
Dorsal cavity:
The dorsal cavity is subdivided into two parts; the cranial cavity and vertebral cavity. The cranial cavity is inside the skull. The brain is contained in the cranial cavity. The vertebral cavity is inside the vertebral column or spine. The spinal cord (a group of nerves) is contained in the vertebral cavity.
Ventral cavity:
The ventral cavity contains many internal organs including the heart, lungs, kidneys, digestive organs, and others. These internal organs are also called viscera. A large muscle called diaphragm divides the ventral cavity into upper and lower cavities. The upper cavity is called the thoracic cavity. The lower cavity is the abdominopelvic cavity.
The thoracic cavity contains the heart and lungs. The abdominopelvic cavity is divided into two smaller cavities. The abdominal cavity and the pelvic cavity. The abdominal cavity is above the pelvic cavity, it contains organs such as the liver, intestines, stomach, and kidneys. The pelvic cavity contains some reproductive organs, the urinary balder, and parts of the intestine.
In Brief: The dorsal cavity is subdivided into the cranial and vertebral cavities. The ventral cavity is subdivided into the thoracic and abdominopelvic cavity. |
