The cavities, or spaces, of the body contain the internal
organs, or viscera. The two main cavities are called the
ventral and dorsal cavities. The ventral is the larger cavity
and is subdivided into two parts (thoracic and abdominopelvic
cavities) by the diaphragm, a dome-shaped respiratory muscle.
Thoracic cavity
The upper ventral, thoracic, or chest cavity contains the
heart, lungs, trachea, esophagus, large blood vessels, and
nerves. The thoracic cavity is bound laterally by the ribs
(covered by costal pleura) and the diaphragm caudally (covered
by diaphragmatic pleura).
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Abdominal and pelvic cavity
The lower part of the ventral (abdominopelvic) cavity can be further
divided into two portions: abdominal portion and pelvic portion. The
abdominal cavity contains most of the gastrointestinal tract as well
as the kidneys and adrenal glands. The abdominal cavity is bound cranially
by the diaphragm, laterally by the body wall, and caudally by the
pelvic cavity. The pelvic cavity contains most of the urogenital system
as well as the rectum. The pelvic cavity is bounded cranially by the
abdominal cavity, dorsally by the sacrum, and laterally by the pelvis.
Dorsal cavity
The smaller of the two main cavities is called the dorsal cavity.
As its name implies, it contains organs lying more posterior in
the body. The dorsal cavity, again, can be divided into two portions.
The upper portion, or the cranial cavity, houses the brain, and
the lower portion, or vertebral canal houses the spinal cord.
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