Body cavities

MR. SHIVAPRASAD HALEMANI

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
KHI COLLEGE OF NURSING
 Introduction

The organs are protected form external injury by

forming cavities.
There are four cavities in the body
Cranial cavity
Thoracic cavity
Abdominal cavity
Pelvic cavity.
 Cranial cavity

It contains brain and its boundaries are formed by

bones of skull.
Anteriorly : Frontal bones
Posteriorly : Occipital bone
Laterally : Temporal bone
Superiorly : Parietal bones
Inferiorly : Sphenoid, ethmoid, and parts of
frontal, temporal and occipital bones.
Figure-1
 Thoracic cavity

Anteriorly : Sternum and costal cartilages

Posteriorly : Thoracic vertebrae
Laterally : 12 pairs of ribs and intercostal muscles.
Superiorly : the structures forming the root of the neck.
Inferiorly : The diaphragm.
Contents:
Trachea, 2 bronchi, 2 lungs
Heart, aorta, superior and inferior venecava,
Oesophagus
Figure-2
 Abdominal cavity

Superiorly: diaphragm
Anteriorly : muscles and peritoneum
Posteriorly : lumbar vertebrae and muscles forming
posterior abdominal wall
Contents :
Stomach, small intestine, large intestine
Liver gall bladder, bile ducts and pancreas.
Spleen, kidney and upper part of uterus
2 adrenal glands
Blood vessels, lymph vessels and nerves and lymph nodes
Fig-3
 Pelvic cavity

Superiorly: abdominal cavity

Inferiorly : muscles of pelvic floor
Anteriorly : Pubic bones
Posteriorly : sacrum and coccyx
Laterally : the innominate bones
Contents :
Sigmoid colon, rectum and anus
Some loops of small intestine.
Urinary bladder, ureters and urethra
In females. Uterus, fallopian tube, ovaries and vagina
In females: prostate glands, seminal vesicles, spermatic cord,
deferent ducts, ejaculatory duct and urethra.
 Basic characteristics of living human organism

Metabolism: it is chemical process that occurs in

the body. It has two types catabolism-the breakdown
of complex chemical substances into simpler
components. Anabolism - the building up of complex
chemical substances from smaller, simpler
components.
Responsiveness: It is the body’s ability to detect
and respond to changes. Ex: change in body temp.
Movement: It includes motion of the whole body,
individual organs, single cells, and even tiny
structures inside cells.
 Contn…

Growth is an increase in body size.

Differentiation: is the development of a cell from
an unspecialized to a specialized state.
Reproduction refers either to the formation of new
cells for tissue growth, repair, or replacement, or to
the production of a new individual.
 HOMEOSTASIS

homeo- sameness;
stasis - standing still
It is the condition of equilibrium (balance) in the
body’s internal environment.
 Homeostasis and Body Fluids

The important role of homeostasis is maintaining the

volume, composition of body fluids, dilute, solutions
inside and surrounding them.
Intracellular fluid.
Extracellular fluid
Interstitial fluid