Thoracic Cavity 1

Question 1

What is the function of body cavities?

Answer 1

Confine large organs and systems

Question 2

What are body cavities lined by?

Answer 2

Serous membrane

Question 3

What is the function of serous membranes?

Answer 3

Allows movement, expansion and contraction of organs

Question 4

What is the meaning of a serous membrane?

Answer 4

Closed to the outside

Question 5

What is contained within the thoracic cavity?

Answer 5

Lungs, heart and chest wall

Question 6

What allows friction free movement within a serious membrane?

Answer 6

minuscule layer of fluid lubricates the potential space

Question 7

What is the heart covered by?

Answer 7

Pericardium

Question 8

What is a mucous membrane?

Answer 8

cavities that open to the outside

Question 9

What lines the abdominal and pelvic cavities?

Answer 9

Peritoneum

Question 10

What 3 compartments is the thoracic cavity divided into?

Answer 10

Right and left pleural cavities and the mediastinum between them

Question 11

What is pleura and how is it distributed in the thoracic cavity?

Answer 11

Covers the lungs and reflects onto itself around the root of the lung and cover the diaphragm and thoracic wall

Question 12

Can lung compartments communicate with each other?

Answer 12

NO

Question 13

What is parietal pleura attached to?

Answer 13

Thoracic wall (costal), fascia in the thoracic inlet (neck; at 1st rib and T1), fibrous pericardium and other mediastinal structures and diaphragm

Question 14

Viscera

Answer 14

organ

Question 15

Paries

Answer 15

wall

Question 16

What is the mediastinum?

Answer 16

Space between the 2 pleural sacs, the sternum and costal cartilages, thoracic vertebrae and diaphragm

Question 17

What is contained within the mediastinum and why are the suited to this region?

Answer 17

filled with hollow organs. Highly mobile region that permits volume and pressure changes

Question 18

Where is the superior mediastinum?

Answer 18

Behind the manubrium between the inlet and the plane between the sternal angle and T4/5

Question 19

Where is the inferior mediastinum?

Answer 19

Inferior to the transverse plane through the sternal angle and the diaphragm

Question 20

What is the inferior mediastinum divided into?

Answer 20

Anterior, middle and posterior mediastinum

Question 21

What structures are located in the right of the mediastinum? And what are they related to?

Answer 21

Superior vena cava, ach of azygos and inferior vena cava; right atrium

Question 22

What structures are located in the left mediastinum? And what are they related to?

Answer 22

Left common carotid artery, left subclavian artery. Arch of aorta and thoracic aorta; left ventricle

Question 23

What is contained within the middle mediastinum?

Answer 23

heart, pericardium (origins of great vessels - aorta, pulmonary trunk, vena cava and pulmonary veins), phrenic nerves and vagus

Question 24

What is the pericardium?

Answer 24

Fibro-serous sac that encloses the heart and the roots of the great vessels

Question 25

What is the function of the pericardium?

Answer 25

Anchoring the heart to surrounding tissues without compromising cardiac movement and preventing overfilling of the heart

Question 26

What 2 layers is the pericardium composed of?and how is it attached to the sternum

Answer 26

serous and fibrous; by ligaments

Question 27

What is the apex of the fibrous pericardium attached to?

Answer 27

adventitia of great vessels

Question 28

What does the fibrous pericardium attach to anteriorly?

Answer 28

Attached by sterno-pericardial ligament to the body of the sternum and 3rd-6th costal cartilages

Question 29

What does the fibrous pericardium attach to posteriorly?

Answer 29

Attached by pericardiovertebral ligaments to 5th-8th thoracic vertebrae

Question 30

What does the fibrous pericardium attach to inferiorly?

Answer 30

Blends with the central tendon of the diaphragm (pericardiophrenic ligament)

Question 31

Where is the serous pericardium located? And what 2 layers does it have?

Answer 31

Located inside the fibrous pericardium and has parietal and visceral layers

Question 32

Describe the parietal layer of the serous pericardium

Answer 32

Lines the inner aspect of the fibrous pericardium and reflects onto itself around the roots of the great vessels and continues as the visceral layer

Question 33

Describe the visceral layer of the pericardium

Answer 33

Epicardium

Question 34

What is the pericardial cavity?

Answer 34

Between parietal and visceral layers of serous pericardium

Question 35

What is pericardial fluid?

Answer 35

Fluid produced by the serous pericardium to reduce friction during contraction of the heart

Question 36

What happens to the heart tube during embryological development?

Answer 36

Heart tube folds and invaginates into the serous pericardium (within the fibrous sac)

Question 37

What is the transverse pericardial sinus? And where is it located?

Answer 37

Separates the arterial and venous ends of the heart tube; posterior to ascending aorta and pulmonary trunk, anterior to superior vena cava and superior to LA and pulmonary veins

Question 38

What is the clinical significance of the transverse pericardial sinus?

Answer 38

Clamped in cardiac surgery

Question 39

What is the oblique pericardial sinus? And where is it located?

Answer 39

Surrounded by the reflection of serous pericardium around the right and left pulmonary vein and the inferior vena cava

Question 40

Where does the pericardium receive its sensory nerve fibres from?

Answer 40

Phrenic nerve

Question 41

Where does the pericardium receive its vasomotor fibres from?

Answer 41

Vagus nerve and cardiopulmonary splanchnic nerves (Sympathetic)

Question 42

What plexus does the phrenic nerve branch from? And what rami does it arise from?

Answer 42

Cervical plexus; ventral rami of C3,4,5

Question 43

What muscle does the phrenic nerve travel over?

Answer 43

Scalenus anterior

Question 44

Where does the phrenic nerve enter the mediastinum?

Answer 44

Between the venous and arterial planes (subclavian)

Question 45

Where does the phrenic nerve lie? And what does it lie between and pass through?

Answer 45

Lies between fibrous pericardium and parietal pleura; and passes through Caval opening

Question 46

What is the motor function of the phrenic nerve?

Answer 46

Sole motor supply to the diaphragm

Question 47

What is the sensory function of the phrenic nerve?

Answer 47

Mediastinal parietal pleura; peritoneum and pleura related to the central tendon of the diaphragm

Question 48

What can an infected gallbladder irritate? And what dermatome does this affect?

Answer 48

Irritation of the diaphragm; Dermatome C4 affected