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Cavidades corporales
Hola estimados alumnos y alumnas:
Aqu les dejo un texto sobre las cavidades corporales, para que lo
estudien.
Dr. Mauricio Torres
Lo pueden buscar en
http://www.apsu.edu/thompsonj/Anatomy%20&%20Physiology/20
10/2010%20Exam%20Reviews/Exam%201%20Review/Fig%201.9%
20%20The%20Body%20Cavities.htm
Figure 1.9 a&b. The Dorsal and Ventral Body Cavities and
Subcompartments.


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dorsal body cavity - The closed, membrane-lined sterile anatomical space
which houses the central nervous system; its lining are the three connective
tissue layers known as the meninges; it is located medially on the posterior of
the head and trunk and housed within the confines of the skull and vertebrae; it
is arbitrarily subdivided into a cranial cavity containing the brain and a vertebral
cavity containing the spinal cord and the roots of the spinal nerves.
cranial cavity - The partially closed, membrane-lined sterile anatomical space,
a subdivision of the dorsal body cavity, which houses the superior portion of the
central nervous system, i.e., the brain; its lining are the three connective tissue
layers known as the cerebral meninges, i.e., the dura mater, arachnoid, and pia
mater; it is located medially on the posterior of the head and housed within the
confines of the skull; it contains the brain, various cerebral blood vessels, the
pituitary gland, and the roots of the cranial nerves; it provides a protected space
for the brain.
vertebral cavity - The partially closed, membrane-lined sterile anatomical
space, a subdivision of the dorsal body cavity, which houses the inferior portion
of the central nervous system, i.e., the spinal cord; its lining are the three
connective tissue layers known as the spinal meninges, i.e., the dura mater,
arachnoid, and pia mater; it is located medially on the posterior of the trunk and
housed within the confines of the vertebrae; it contains the spinal cord, various
spinal blood vessels, adipose tissue, and the roots of the spinal nerves; it
provides a protected space for the spinal cord.
ventral body cavity - The closed, membrane-lined sterile anatomical space
which houses various internal organs; its lining are various serous membranes;
it is located medially on the anterior of the trunk and housed within the confines
of the rib cage and trunk musculature; it is subdivided into (1) a thoracic cavity
containing the lungs, heart, and the organs of the mediastinum, and (2) an
abdominopelvic cavity containing the brain and a vertebral cavity containing the
spinal cord and the roots of the spinal nerves; it provides a protected space for
those organs.
thoracic cavity - The closed, partially membrane-lined sterile anatomical space,
a subdivision of the ventral body cavity, which houses the lungs, heart, and the
organs of the mediastinum; its linings are the three serous membranes known
as the pleural membranes and the pericardial membrane; it is located medially
on the anterior of the trunk and housed within the confines of the rib cage; it
provides a protected space for those organs.
pleural cavity - The two closed, membrane-lined sterile anatomical spaces,
subdivisions of the ventral body cavity and of the thoracic cavity, which houses

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the right and left lungs respectively; its lining is the serous membrane known as
the pleural membrane; it is located lateral to the mediastinum and pericardial
sac on the anterior of the trunk and housed within the confines of the rib cage; it
provides a protected space for the lungs.
pericardial cavity - The closed, membrane-lined sterile anatomical space, a
subdivision of the ventral body cavity and of the thoracic cavity, which houses
the heart; its lining is the serous membrane known as the pericardial membrane;
it is located within the inferior portion of the mediastinum on the anterior of the
trunk and beneath the sternum within the confines of the rib cage; it provides a
protected, lubricated space for the heart to contract.
mediastinum - The closed sterile anatomical space, not lined by a serous
membrane, a subdivision of the ventral body cavity and of the thoracic cavity,
which houses the heart in its pericardial sac, the great vessels, the trachea, the
esophagus, and the thymus; it is located medially between the two pleural
cavities to the right and left and between the thoracic vertebral column and the
sternum.
abdominopelvic cavity - The closed, membrane-lined sterile anatomical space
which houses various internal organs, particularly those of the digestive system;
its lining is a serous membrane, the peritoneal membrane; it is located medially
on the anterior of the trunk, inferior to the thoracic cavity, and housed within the
confines of the trunk musculature; it is arbitrarily subdivided into (1) an
abdominal cavity containing the stomach, liver, intestines, and spleen (2) a
pelvic cavity containing some of the reproductive organs, the urinary bladder,
and the distal colon; it provides a protected space for those organs.
abdominal cavity - The partially closed, membrane-lined sterile anatomical
space which houses certain internal organs, the stomach, liver, intestines, and
spleen; its lining is a serous membrane, a portion of the peritoneal membrane; it
is located superiorly within the abdominopelvic cavity, bounded superiorly by
the diaphragm muscle and inferiorly by the pelvic cavity, with which it is
continuous; it provides a protected space for those organs.
pelvic cavity - The partially closed, membrane-lined sterile anatomical space
which houses some of the reproductive organs, the urinary bladder, and the
distal colon; its lining is a serous membrane, a portion of the peritoneal
membrane; it is located inferiorly within the abdominopelvic cavity, bounded
superiorly by the abdominal cavity, with which it is continuous, and inferiorly by
the walls of the pelvic girdle and its musculature; it provides a protected space
for those organs.

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Sketch and Label
4. cross sections illustrating the dorsal and ventral body cavities and label the
cavity subdivisions and label the membranes lining them.