Help with body cavities?

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So I'm in A&P1, and we're doing body cavities and the like...I know what each cavity is, but it's just not "coming together" for me. I don't know where every organ is by memory, and I don't know how the cavities kind of "line up" with each other. Is there anyone that knows of anything that can help? I'm desperate - I feel so stupid.

Thanks in advance!

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Are you talking about things like the thoracic cavity the pleural cavity the abdominopelvic cavity? Or do you mean just dorsal and ventral cavities?

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All of them - I know the names, I just...can't piece together how they "stack up". We were given a sheet that has random organs on it and "where they are in the cavities". It's hard to kind of piece it together...I have Martini's "Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology" and it doesn't explain it very well.

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Well think about what each of the names mean. Thoracic,as you probably know, means chest. Then think about what is in your chest, your lungs. For the Pericardial cavity, think cardia as meaning related to the heart, and that is where he heart is. For the abdominopelvic cavity, it can be broken down into the abdominal and pelvic cavities. For the abdominal cavity, hink digestive organs except for last part of the large intestine, the rectum, and the orifice. For the pelvic cavity, think reproductive organs that are internal, as well as the rectum, orifice, and last part of he large intestine. I really hope this answers your question! If not, let me know! O ya and the dorsal cavity includes the cranial and spinal cavities only! The ventral cavity is all other cavities.

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THANK YOU SO MUCH.

Omyheavens. That makes so much more sense. We were just given a sheet (and therefore no lecture whatsoever) on any of this, so it's really troubling.

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No problem!

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Specializes in Home Care.

I used Tortora Dickerson Anatomy book for both A&P classes, this book is great with lots of diagrams.

See if you can get into the book's student website at http://bcs.wiley.com/he-bcs/Books?action=index&itemId=0471689343&itemTypeId=BKS&bcsId=2287

Its a great resource.

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Me too. We are doing the cavaties, but the lab section has warned us about using outside material. I just started on Tuesday and we are only getting 2 hours of lab time per week! First lab we only went over safety. Next week we are no doubt going to use a good hour for the microscope work, so that only leaves 1 hour in 2-3 weeks to look at the models. I dont see how we are supposed to know all this material from only seeing the models once or twice before a test.

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Me too. We are doing the cavaties, but the lab section has warned us about using outside material. I just started on Tuesday and we are only getting 2 hours of lab time per week! First lab we only went over safety. Next week we are no doubt going to use a good hour for the microscope work, so that only leaves 1 hour in 2-3 weeks to look at the models. I dont see how we are supposed to know all this material from only seeing the models once or twice before a test.

In my anatomy class last semester, a lot of students brought their digital cameras to snap shots of the models. I never did this, but definitely was the odd one out.

To the OP, do you have access to the computer? I did a ton of googling for charts and diagrams!

Miz Que

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Specializes in ED; Med Surg.

Here is a site that will help you practice.

http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072919329/student_view0/chapter1/labeling_exercises.html

It will all make sense in time, I promise!

Allison

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O ya and for the terms "visceral" and "parietal" that are used to describe serous membranes, you can basically always associate the term visceral with "lining the actual organs of the associated cavity" and parietal with "lining the inside of the cavity wall." There are three main serous membranes:

1. The parietal and visceral pleurae-- the parietal pleurae lines the inner wall of the thoracic cavity where the lungs are, and the visceral pleurae is in direct contact with the lungs, lying right on top of them. In between the two layers is where the serous fluid is.

2. The parietal and visceral peritoneum--the parietal peritoneum lines the inner wall of the abdominal cavity and the visceral peritoneum lies in direct contact with the organs of the abdominal cavity, right on top of them and actually touching them. In between the two is fluid.

3. The parietal and visceral pericardium--the parietal pericardium lines the inner wall of the pericardial cavity, the visceral pericardium lines the outside of the heart itself, right on top of it. In between is the fluid.

I hope this helps!

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Me too. We are doing the cavaties, but the lab section has warned us about using outside material. I just started on Tuesday and we are only getting 2 hours of lab time per week! First lab we only went over safety. Next week we are no doubt going to use a good hour for the microscope work, so that only leaves 1 hour in 2-3 weeks to look at the models. I dont see how we are supposed to know all this material from only seeing the models once or twice before a test.

When I took this class, there was not near enough time to go through and learn all the models. Ask if your school has "open lab" where you go in on your own time, we did that alot. Also a bunch of us took our cameras in there and photographed the models, then went home and labeled the photographs and used them to study. Everything extra you can do helps with this class. Good luck!

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