mediastinal cavity

(noun)

The central compartment of the thoracic cavity. It contains the heart, the great vessels of the heart, the esophagus, the trachea, the phrenic nerve, the cardiac nerve, the thoracic duct, the thymus, and the lymph nodes of the central chest.

Related Terms

Examples of mediastinal cavity in the following topics:

  • Thoracic Aorta

    • The thoracic aorta is the section of the aorta that travels through the thoracic cavity to carry blood to the head, neck, thorax and arms.
    • Contained within the posterior mediastinal cavity, it begins at the lower border of the fourth thoracic vertebra where it is continuous with the aortic arch, and ends in front of the lower border of the twelfth thoracic vertebra at the aortic hiatus in the diaphragm.
    • In descending order these are the bronchial arteries, the mediastinal arteries, the esophageal arteries, the pericardial arteries, and the superior phrenic artery.

  • Body Cavities

    • Blood vessels are not considered cavities but may be held within cavities.
    • The dorsal cavity is a continuous cavity located on the dorsal side of the body.
    • The abdominoplevic cavity is the posterior ventral body cavity found beneath the thoracic cavity and diaphragm.
    • Humans have multiple body cavities, including the cranial cavity, the vertebral cavity, the thoracic cavity (containing the pericardial cavity and the pleural cavity), the abdominal cavity, and the pelvic cavity.
    • In mammals, the diaphragm separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity.

  • Animal Body Planes and Cavities

    • In the posterior cavity, the cranial cavity houses the brain and the spinal cavity (or vertebral cavity) encloses the spinal cord.
    • The anterior cavity has two main subdivisions: the thoracic cavity and the abdominopelvic cavity.
    • The thoracic cavity contains the pleural cavity around the lungs and the pericardial cavity, which surrounds the heart.
    • The abdominopelvic cavity is the largest cavity in the body.
    • The ventral cavity, indicated in yellow, contains the thoracic cavity and the abdominopelvic cavity.

  • Lung Cancer

    • A hollow cavity and associated necrosis are commonly found at the center of the tumor.
    • If mediastinal lymph node involvement is suspected, mediastinoscopy may be used to sample the nodes and assist staging.

  • Great Vessels of the Heart

    • The inferior vena cava begins posterior to the abdominal cavity and travels to the heart next to the abdominal aorta.
    • It branches off into the bronchial, mediastinal, esophageal, and phrenic arteries.

  • Serous Membranes

    • The pericardial cavity (surrounding the heart), pleural cavity (surrounding the lungs), and peritoneal cavity (surrounding most organs of the abdomen) are the three serous cavities within the human body.
    • Serous membranes line and enclose several body cavities, known as serous cavities, where they secrete a lubricating fluid which reduces friction from muscle movement.
    • The pericardial cavity (surrounding the heart), pleural cavity (surrounding the lungs) , and peritoneal cavity (surrounding most organs of the abdomen) are the three serous cavities within the human body .
    • While serous membranes have a lubricative role to play in all three cavities, in the pleural cavity it plays a greater role in the function of breathing.
    • Describe the function of the serous membranes in the pericardial, pleural, and peritoneal cavities

  • Serosa

    • Serous membranes line and enclose several body cavities, known as serous cavities, where they secrete a lubricating fluid that reduces friction from muscle movement.
    • The pericardial cavity (surrounding the heart), pleural cavity (surrounding the lungs) and peritoneal cavity (surrounding most organs of the abdomen) are the three serous cavities within the human body.
    • While serous membranes have a lubricative role to play in all three cavities, in the pleural cavity it has a greater role to play in the function of breathing.
    • Early in embryonic life, visceral organs develop adjacent to a cavity and invaginate into the bag-like coelom.
    • Therefore each organ becomes surrounded by serous membrane - they do not lie within the serous cavity.

  • The Mechanics of Human Breathing

    • The thoracic cavity, or chest cavity, always has a slight, negative pressure which aids in keeping the airways of the lungs open.
    • This decrease of pressure in the thoracic cavity relative to the environment makes the cavity pressure less than the atmospheric pressure .
    • During exhalation, the diaphragm also relaxes, moving higher into the thoracic cavity.
    • This increases the pressure within the thoracic cavity relative to the environment.
    • A tissue layer called pleura surrounds the lung and interior of the thoracic cavity.

  • Bilaminar Embryonic Disc Development

    • The floor of the amniotic cavity is formed by the embryonic disc.
    • The floor of the amniotic cavity is formed by the embryonic disc, which is composed of a layer of prismatic cells and the embryonic ectoderm.
    • As the embryo progresses in implantation, a small space appears in the embryoblast and forms the amniotic cavity.
    • The epiblast forms the floor of the amniotic cavity and is continuous with the amnion.
    • The hypoblast forms the roof of the exocoelomic cavity and is continuous with the thin exocoelomic membrane.

  • Injuries to the Phrenic Nerves

    • In the thorax, each phrenic nerve supplies the mediastinal pleura and pericardium.