Which cavity contains the spinal cord

The human body, like that of many other multicellular organisms, is divided into a number of body cavities. A body cavity is a fluid-filled space inside the body that holds and protects internal organs. Human body cavities are separated by membranes and other structures. The two largest human body cavities are the ventral cavity and the dorsal cavity.

These two body cavities are subdivided into smaller body cavities. The ventral cavity is at the anterior, or front, of the trunk. Organs contained within this body cavity include the lungs, heart, stomach, intestines, and reproductive organs. The ventral cavity allows for considerable changes in the size and shape of the organs within it as they perform their functions. For example, organs such as the lungs, stomach, or uterus can expand or contract without distorting other tissues or disrupting the activities of nearby organs.

The ventral cavity is subdivided into the thoracic and abdominopelvic cavities. The dorsal cavity is at the posterior, or back, of the body, including both the head and the back of the trunk.

The dorsal cavity is subdivided into the cranial and spinal cavities. The brain and spinal cord are protected by the bones of the skull and the vertebrae of the spine. They are further protected by the meninges, a three-layer membrane that encloses the brain and spinal cord. A thin layer of cerebrospinal fluid is maintained between two of the meningeal layers. This clear fluid is produced by the brain, and it provides extra protection and cushioning for the brain and spinal cord.

To use all functions of this page, please activate cookies in your browser. Login Register. Topics A-Z. All topics. To top. About bionity. Your browser is not current. Key Points The dorsal cavity contains the primary organs of the nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord. The diaphragm is a sheet of muscle that separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity.

Special membrane tissues surround the body cavities, such as the meninges of the dorsal cavity and the mesothelium of the ventral cavity. The mesothelium consists of the pleura of the lungs, the pericardium of the heart, and the peritoneum of the abdominopelvic cavity. Key Terms abdominoplevic cavity : The ventral body chamber that contains the abdominal cavity primarily digestive system and the pelvic cavity primarily reproductive system.

Thoracic Cavity : The ventral body chamber that contains the pericardial cavity the heart and the pleural cavity the lungs.

Dorsal The dorsal cavity is a continuous cavity located on the dorsal side of the body. Cranial The cranial cavity is the anterior portion of the dorsal cavity consisting of the space inside the skull. Vertebral The vertebral cavity is the posterior portion of the dorsal cavity and contains the structures within the vertebral column. The major cavities of the human body are the spaces left over when internal organs are removed.

There are additional body cavities which we will only discuss in lecture. These are the cavities created by serous membranes—the pleural cavities, the pericardial cavity, and the peritoneal cavity—and the mediastinum.

Figure The locations of the major body cavities of the human body.