The Major Anatomical Regions, Directions and Cavities of the Human Body
The body is divided into many different parts and the structures in the human body are described using hundreds of different terms. The many different terms and divisions of the body can assist in making it easier to learn the parts of the human body and how they function together to make up the complicated organisms that we humans are.
The body contains two main cavities, dorsal and ventral, that house and protect the internal organs. These cavities are subdivided to further distinguish location. The dorsal cavity is the space within the skull and the spinal canal. The spinal canal is surrounded by the vertebrae. The cranial cavity is the fluid filled space inside the cranium. This cavity contains the brain. The space that encloses the spinal cord and extends from the cranial cavity to the base of the spine is the spinal cavity. The ventral body cavity contains the organs in the chest and abdomen. The upper part of the ventral cavity includes the thoracic cavity, which is often thought of as the chest area. The thoracic cavity contains the lungs, heart, the lower esophagus, the thymus gland, aorta, trachea, and bronchi. The abdominal cavity contains the stomach, intestines, kidneys, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, and ureters. The pelvic cavity contains the urinary bladder, certain reproductive organs, parts of the large intestine, and the rectum. We call the pelvic and abdominal cavities together the abdominopelvic cavity. (Brooks, 2009)
There are two simple ways to divide the abdomen: four quadrants and nine regions. The four abdominal quadrants are the Left Upper Quadrant (LUQ), Left Lower Quadrant (LLQ), Right Upper Quadrant (RUQ), and Right Lower Quadrant (RLQ). As for the nine regions are concerned, first there is the upper abdominopelvic region which contains the right and left hypochondriac regions and the epigastric region. These regions lie above an imaginary line across the abdomen at the level of the ninth rib cartilages.
The body contains two main cavities, dorsal and ventral, that house and protect the internal organs. These cavities are subdivided to further distinguish location. The dorsal cavity is the space within the skull and the spinal canal. The spinal canal is surrounded by the vertebrae. The cranial cavity is the fluid filled space inside the cranium. This cavity contains the brain. The space that encloses the spinal cord and extends from the cranial cavity to the base of the spine is the spinal cavity. The ventral body cavity contains the organs in the chest and abdomen. The upper part of the ventral cavity includes the thoracic cavity, which is often thought of as the chest area. The thoracic cavity contains the lungs, heart, the lower esophagus, the thymus gland, aorta, trachea, and bronchi. The abdominal cavity contains the stomach, intestines, kidneys, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, and ureters. The pelvic cavity contains the urinary bladder, certain reproductive organs, parts of the large intestine, and the rectum. We call the pelvic and abdominal cavities together the abdominopelvic cavity. (Brooks, 2009)
There are two simple ways to divide the abdomen: four quadrants and nine regions. The four abdominal quadrants are the Left Upper Quadrant (LUQ), Left Lower Quadrant (LLQ), Right Upper Quadrant (RUQ), and Right Lower Quadrant (RLQ). As for the nine regions are concerned, first there is the upper abdominopelvic region which contains the right and left hypochondriac regions and the epigastric region. These regions lie above an imaginary line across the abdomen at the level of the ninth rib cartilages.
References: Thibodeau & Patton (2008). Structure and Function of the Body (13th Ed). Missouri: Mosby Elsevier. Brooks, Myrna Lafleur (2009). Exploring Medical Language, A Student Directed Approach (7th Ed.). Missouri: Mosby Elsevier. Bulletin Solutions, Inc. (2010). Study Temple Future Begin… http://www.studytemple.com/forum/medical-cards/123048-body-cavities-abdominal-regions-quadrants.html