Thoracic and Abdominopelvic Membranes

Serous Membranes

• Serous membranes line the walls of body cavities and cover the organs within those cavities.
• The potential space between the parietal and visceral pleural membranes is called the pleural cavity.
• The visceral pleura covers the lungs.
• The fibrous outer membrane around the heart is called the pericardium.
• The parietal peritoneum lines the wall of the abdominal cavity.
• The potential space between the parietal and visceral pericardial membranes is called the pericardial cavity.
• The visceral peritoneum covers each organ in the abdominopelvic cavity.
• Serous membranes consist of two layers: a parietal layer and a visceral layer.

Organ Systems

• The integumentary system is responsible for protecting tissues, regulating body temperature, supporting sensory receptors, and aiding in excretion.
• The skeletal system provides a framework, protects soft tissues, provides attachment sites for muscles, produces blood cells, and stores inorganic salts.
• The muscular system causes movement, maintains posture, and produces body heat.
• The nervous system detects changes, receives and interprets sensory information, and stimulates muscles and glands.
• The endocrine system consists of glands that secrete hormones to control metabolic activities of body structures.
• The cardiovascular system moves blood through blood vessels and transports substances throughout the body.
• The lymphatic system returns tissue fluid to the blood, carries certain absorbed food molecules, and defends the body against infection.
• The digestive system receives, breaks down, and absorbs food, and eliminates unabsorbed material.
• The respiratory system is responsible for the intake and output of air, and the exchange of gases between air and blood.
• The urinary system removes wastes from the blood, maintains water and electrolyte balance, and stores and transports urine.

Test your knowledge of the thoracic and abdominopelvic membranes with this quiz. Explore the different layers and types of serous membranes that line these cavities.