Unit 8: Body Cavities, Organs, and Membranes

Question 1

What are body cavities?

Answer 1

Enclosed spaces that house and protect organs. Includes:
1. Dorsal Body Cavity
a) cranial (head) cavity - brain
b) vertebral cavity - spinal cord
2. Ventral Body Cavity
a) Thoracic (chest) cavity
i. Pericardial cavity - heart and ii. Pleural cavity - lungs
b) Abdominal cavity - digestive organs
c) Pelvic cavity - houses urinary bladder, reproductive
organs, rectum

Question 2

Organs review

Answer 2

Consist of 2 or more tissues, and many organs contain all 4 major tissues types (epithelial, CT, muscle, and nervous).

Question 3

Membranes review

Answer 3

Consist of 1 or 2 tissue types (CT w/ or w/out epithelial tissue attached)
Line inner and outer surfaces of body and its organs

Question 4

What is the first membrane type?

Answer 4

1. Mucous membranes (mucosa)
   - line cavities of organs that open directly to body exterior
   - also called mucosa of the…digestive, resp., urinary, repro. systems
   - 2 layers:
   a) epithelial layer in contact w/ lumen of organ
   
   • AVASCULAR (always) and many have goblet cells
     b) lamina propria = CT layer that connects the epithelial
     tissue to the wall of the organ
   • made of loose areolar CT, and therefore vascular
   • nourishes epithelial cells

Question 5

What is the second membrane type?

Answer 5

2. Serous membranes (serosa)
   - line body cavities (closed cavities that DO NOT open to the exterior - like abdominal and thoracic cavities)
   - also covers external surfaces of organs in these cavities
   - double layered membranes w/ each layer composed of a simple epithelium bound to an areolar CT
   a) parietal layer - against cavity wall
   b) visceral layer - against organ
   - epithelial layers secrete serous fluid into the serous cavity (slippery)
   - named for location:
   a) Pericardium = heart
   b) Pleura = lung (like parietal and visceral pleura)
   c) Peritoneum = abdominal organs

Question 6

What is the third membrane type?

Answer 6

3. Synovial membranes
   - in joints
   - areolar CT, no epithelium
   - only ONE tissue type - therefore NOT an organ

Question 7

What is the fourth membrane type?

Answer 7

4. Cutaneous membranes
   - skin
   
   • epithelium = stratified squamous (named the epidermis)
   • CT = areolar and dense irregular (named the dermis)