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• Body Cavities


  • Nasal Cavity
  • Dorsal Body Cavity: Cranial Cavity, Spinal Cavity
• Directional Terms

  • Supine
  • Prone
  • Superior
  • Inferior
  • Anterior
  • Posterior
  • Ventral
  • Dorsal
  • Proximal
  • Distal
  • Medial
  • Lateral
  • Superficial
  • Deep
• Anatomical Position


  Body is standing erect and facing forward, feet together, arms hanging at the sides with palms facing forward
• Planes

  • Sagittal Plane
  • Median Plane
  • Transverse/ Horizontal Plane
  • Frontal/ Coronal Plane
  • Longitudinal Section
  • Transverse Section/ Cross Section
  • Oblique Section
• Body Parts and Regions

  • Head
  • Neck
  • Trunk
  • Throrax
  • Abdomen
  • Pelvis
  • Arm
  • Forearm
  • Wrist
  • Hand
  • Thigh
  • Leg
  • Ankle
  • Foot
• Directional Terms

  Describe parts of the body relative to each other
• Abdomen Regions

  • Quadrants: RUQ, LUQ, RLQ, LLQ
  • Regions: Epigastric, Right hypochondriac, Left hypochondriac, Umbilical, Right lumbar, Left lumbar, Hypogastric, Right iliac, Left iliac
• Dorsal Body Cavity


  1. Protects the fragile nervous system organs

  2. Has two subdivisions: Cranial Cavity and Vertebral or Spinal Cavity
• Abdominopelvic Cavity


  1. Has two parts

  2. Regions not physically separated by a muscular or membrane wall
• Synovial Cavities


  1. Joint cavities enclosed within fibrous capsules surrounding freely movable joints of the body

  2. Membranes lining synovial cavities secrete lubricating fluid reducing friction as bones move across one another
• Oral and Digestive Cavities


  Contains teeth and tongue, part of the cavity of the digestive organs opening to the body exterior at the anus
• Thoracic Cavity


  1. Superior subdivision surrounded by the ribs and muscles of the chest

  2. Further subdivided into lateral pleural cavities, mediastinum containing pericardial cavity and surrounding thoracic organs
• Middle Ear Cavities


  Lie just medial to the eardrums and contain tiny bones transmitting sound vibrations to hearing receptors in the inner ears
• Pelvic Cavity


  Small space enclosed by the bones of the pelvis and contains urinary bladder, part of the large intestine, and internal reproductive organs
• Nasal Cavity


  1. Open to the outside of the body

  2. Located within and posterior to the nose, part of the respiratory system passageways
• Body cavities providing protection to organs

  • Nasal Cavity
  • Dorsal Body Cavity
  • Ventral Body Cavity
  • Abdominal Cavity
  • Pelvic Cavity
  • Oral and Digestive Cavities
  • Orbital Cavities
  • Middle Ear Cavities
  • Synovial Cavities
• Ventral Body Cavity


  1. More anterior and larger of the closed body cavities

  2. Has two major subdivisions: Thoracic Cavity and Abdominopelvic Cavity
• Abdominal Cavity


  Bounded primarily by the abdominal muscles and contains stomach, intestines, liver, spleen, pancreas, and kidneys
• Serous Membranes


  1. Line trunk cavities and cover organs

  2. Parietal serosa folds to form visceral serosa covering organs in the cavity

  3. Thin, lubricating film of serous fluid produced by the membranes reduces friction as organs move

  4. Thoracic cavity contains three serous membranes
• Orbital Cavities


  House the eyes and present them in an anterior position
• Thoracic cavity contains three serous membrane-lined cavities


  • PERICARDIAL CAVITY
  • TWO PLEURAL CAVITIES
  • Abdominopelvic cavity
• Pericardial Cavity


  1. Surrounds the heart

  2. Contains pericardial fluid

  3. Located between the visceral pericardium and the parietal pericardium
• Pleurisy is inflammation of the pleura
• Pericarditis is inflammation of the pericardium
• The space between the visceral and parietal serous membranes is normally filled with a thin, lubricating film of serous fluid produced by the membranes
• Two Pleural Cavities


  1. Surround each lung

  2. Contains pleural fluid

  3. Located between the visceral pleura and the parietal pleura
• Abdominopelvic Cavity


  1. Contains a serous membrane-lined cavity called the peritoneal cavity

  2. Located between the visceral peritoneum and the parietal peritoneum

  3. Contains peritoneal fluid
• As an organ rubs against another organ or against the body wall, the serous fluid and smooth serous membranes reduce friction
• Serous membranes can become inflamed—usually as a result of an infection
• Posterior Body Landmarks

  • Abdominal
  • Acromial
  • Antebrachial
  • Antecubital
  • Axillary
  • Brachial
  • Buccal
  • Carpal
  • Cervical
  • Coxal
  • Crucal
  • Deltoid
  • Digital
  • Femoral
  • Fibular
  • Frontal
  • Inguinal
  • Mental
  • Nasal
  • Oral
  • Orbital
  • Patellar
  • Pectoral
  • Pelvic
  • Pubic
  • Sternal
  • Tarsal
  • Thoracic
  • Umbilical
  • Calcaneal
  • Cephalic
  • Gluteal
  • Lumbar
  • Occipital
  • Olacranal
  • Popliteal
  • Sacral
  • Scapular
  • Sural
  • Vertebral
• Peritonitis is inflammation of the peritoneum