18 Questions
What is the main characteristic of the dorsal body cavity?
Holds and protects the brain
Which of the following is housed in the pleural cavity?
Lungs
What is the function of the pericardial cavity?
Encloses the heart
Where are the reproductive organs housed in the body?
In the abdominal cavity
Which body cavity is filled with organs and often surrounded by membranes?
Ventral body cavity
What does the ventral body cavity consist of?
Thoracic and abdominal cavities
What is the position in which a person is standing upright with the upper limbs hanging by the sides and the palm directed forwards?
Anatomical position
In anatomical terms, what does 'proximal' refer to?
Nearer to the root of a limb
What divides the body into superior and inferior parts?
Axial plane
Which term describes any point farther from the root of a limb?
Distal
What term refers to being closer to the surface of the body?
Superficial
In anatomical terms, what is a plane perpendicular to sagittal planes?
Coronal plane
What internal organs are found in the abdominal cavity?
Stomach, intestines, spleen, liver
Which quadrant contains the liver, gall bladder, and right kidney?
Right upper quadrant (RUQ)
What separates the abdominal-pelvic cavity from the superior thoracic cavity?
Diaphragm
Why do anatomists divide the human abdomen into quadrants?
To locate pain, scars, lumps, etc.
Which region of the abdomen houses the descending colon and left ovary?
Left lower quadrant (LLQ)
How many regions can be marked using two horizontal and two vertical dividing lines in the abdomen?
Nine regions
Study Notes
Body Cavities
- The human body has two largest cavities: dorsal body cavity and ventral body cavity.
Dorsal Cavities
- Cranial Cavity: holds and protects the brain.
- Vertebral cavity (Spinal Cavity column): runs through vertebra and protects spinal cord.
Ventral Cavities
- Divided into two subdivisions: Thoracic cavity and Abdominopelvic cavity.
Thoracic Cavity
- Divided into three subdivisions:
- Pleural cavity: houses lungs.
- Mediastinum: contains pericardial cavity and surrounds remaining thoracic organs.
- Pericardial cavity: encloses the heart.
Abdominopelvic Cavity
- Fills the lower half of the trunk and is subdivided into abdominal cavity and pelvic cavity.
- Abdominal cavity: holds digestive organs and kidneys.
- Pelvic cavity: holds reproductive organs and organs of excretion.
Abdominal Quadrants and Regions
- Divided into four quadrants: left lower quadrant (LLQ), left upper quadrant (LUQ), right upper quadrant (RUQ), and right lower quadrant (RLQ).
- Each quadrant contains specific organs.
Abdominal Quadrants
- LLQ: contains descending colon, sigmoid colon, left ovary, fallopian tube, and left ureter.
- LUQ: contains stomach, spleen, left lobe of liver, pancreas, left kidney, and adrenal gland.
- RUQ: contains liver, gallbladder, duodenum, head of pancreas, right kidney, and adrenal gland.
- RLQ: contains cecum, appendix, ascending colon, right ureter, right ovary, and fallopian tube.
Anatomical Positions and Movement
- Anatomical position: standing upright with upper limbs hanging by the sides and palms facing anteriorly.
- Classifications based on points:
- Anterior: nearer to the front.
- Posterior: nearer to the back.
- Superior (Cephalic): nearer to the head.
- Inferior (Caudal): nearer to the foot.
- Proximal: nearer to the root of the limb.
- Distal: farther from the root of the limb.
- Midline: imaginary vertical line dividing the body equally.
- Lateral: farther from midline.
- Medial: nearer to midline.
- Superficial: close to the surface of the body.
- Deep: away from the surface of the body.
Anatomical Planes
- Axial plane (horizontal, transverse or transaxial plane): horizontal plane perpendicular to the long axis of the body.
- Sagittal plane: any imaginary plane passing through the body parallel to the median plane.
- Coronal plane: plane perpendicular to the median or sagittal planes.
Movement
- Circumduction: circular movement of a joint using a combination of flexion, abduction, extension, and adduction.
- Medial rotation: brings the anterior surface of a limb closer to the median plane.
- Lateral rotation: takes the anterior surface away from the median plane.
- Lateral flexion: moving the trunk in the coronal plane.
- Trendelenburg position: patient is supine on an inclined radiographic table with the head lower than the feet.
Test your knowledge on the anatomy of the abdominal and pelvic cavities. Learn about the organs found in each cavity and the anatomical divisions used for study and diagnosis.
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