The diaphragm separates the thoracic and abdominal cavities.
Ventral body cavity
The ventral body cavity is a human body cavity which is in previous aspect (front) of Human Body. It is composed by thoracic cavityand the abdominopelvic cavity. The abdominopelvic cavity is subdivided into abdominal cavity and pelvic cavity, but there is no physical barrier between the two. The abdominal cavity contains the digestive organs, spleen and kidneys, the pelvic cavity contains the urinary bladder, internal reproductive organs and rectum.
There are two methods for dividing the abdominopelvic cavity. The clinical method, used by doctors and nurses, uses four sections called quadrants. They are the upper-right quadrant, the upper-left quadrant, the lower-right quadrant, and the lower-left quadrant. Directional terms refer to the right and left of the model, not the viewer. Doctors use the quadrant method because, in reality, the organs are mobile and move when the patient is in different positions.
The second method of dividing the abdominopelvic cavity is preferred by anatomists. This method divides the cavity into nine regions. The regions are left and right hypochondriac regions, so called because they lie under the ribs; The epigastric region which is approximately where the stomach is located between the hypochondriac regions; the right and left lumbar regions that flank the umbilical region (which involves the belly buttonor navel), right and left iliac and inguinal regions which are where the hips are, and the hypogastric/pubic regionwhich sits between the hips.
The thoracic cavity is separated from the abdominopelvic cavity by the diaphragm. The thoracic cavity is further separated into the pleural cavity which contains the lungs and the superior mediastinum which includes the pericardial cavity (heart).
The organs within the ventral body cavity are called viscera.
additional images
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abdominopelvic regions
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Abdominopelvic Quadrants
See too
References
External Links
- SEER web-based training modulesfor an image of the ventral body cavity
