hi there

By the broadest definition, a body cavity is any fluid filled space in a multicellular organism. However, the term usually refers to the space, located between an animal’s outer covering (epidermis) and the outer lining of the gut cavity, where internal organs develop. "The body cavity" of human body cavities normally refers to the ventral body cavity, because it is by far the largest one in area.

The type of body cavity places an organism into one of these three groups:

* Coelomates (also known as eucoelomates--"true coelom") have a fluid filled body cavity called a coelom (pronounced /ˈsiːləm/) with a complete lining called peritoneum derived from mesoderm (one of the three primary tissue layers). The complete mesoderm lining allows organs to be attached to each other so that they can be suspended in a particular order while still being able to move freely within the cavity. Most bilateral animals, including all the vertebrates, are coelomates.

* Pseudocoelomate animals have a pseudocoel, (literally “false cavity”) which is a fully functional body cavity. Tissue derived from mesoderm only partly lines the fluid filled body cavity of these animals. Thus, although organs are held in place loosely, they are not as well organized as in a coelomate. All pseudocoelomates are protostomes; however, not all protostomes are pseudocoelomates. An example of a Pseudocoelomate is the roundworm. Pseudocoelomate animals are also referred to as Hemocoel and Blastocoelomate.

* Acoelomate animals, like flatworms, have no body cavity at all. Organs have direct contact with the epithelium. Semi-solid mesodermal tissues between the gut and body wall hold their organs in place.
By the broadest definition, a body cavity is any fluid filled space in a multicellular organism. However, the term usually refers to the space, located between an animal’s outer covering (epidermis) and the outer lining of the gut cavity, where internal organs develop. "The body cavity" of human body cavities normally refers to the ventral body cavity, because it is by far the largest one in area.

The type of body cavity places an organism into one of these three groups:

* Coelomates (also known as eucoelomates--"true coelom") have a fluid filled body cavity called a coelom (pronounced /ˈsiːləm/) with a complete lining called peritoneum derived from mesoderm (one of the three primary tissue layers). The complete mesoderm lining allows organs to be attached to each other so that they can be suspended in a particular order while still being able to move freely within the cavity. Most bilateral animals, including all the vertebrates, are coelomates.

* Pseudocoelomate animals have a pseudocoel, (literally “false cavity”) which is a fully functional body cavity. Tissue derived from mesoderm only partly lines the fluid filled body cavity of these animals. Thus, although organs are held in place loosely, they are not as well organized as in a coelomate. All pseudocoelomates are protostomes; however, not all protostomes are pseudocoelomates. An example of a Pseudocoelomate is the roundworm. Pseudocoelomate animals are also referred to as Hemocoel and Blastocoelomate.

* Acoelomate animals, like flatworms, have no body cavity at all. Organs have direct contact with the epithelium. Semi-solid mesodermal tissues between the gut and body wall hold their organs in place.

Source :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B ody_cavity

Answered by Reeta K , an ibibo Master, at 5:25 PM on August 19, 2008

The cavities, or spaces, of the body contain the internal organs, or viscera. The two main cavities are called the ventral and dorsal cavities. The ventral is the larger cavity and is subdivided into two parts (thoracic and abdominopelvic cavities) by the diaphragm, a dome-shaped respiratory muscle.
Thoracic cavity
The upper ventral, thoracic, or chest cavity contains the heart, lungs, trachea, esophagus, large blood vessels, and nerves. The thoracic cavity is bound laterally by the ribs (covered by costal pleura) and the diaphragm caudally (covered by diaphragmatic pleura).
Abdominal and pelvic cavity
The lower part of the ventral (abdominopelvic) cavity can be further divided into two portions: abdominal portion and pelvic portion. The abdominal cavity contains most of the gastrointestinal tract as well as the kidneys and adrenal glands. The abdominal cavity is bound cranially by the diaphragm, laterally by the body wall, and caudally by the pelvic cavity. The pelvic cavity contains most of the urogenital system as well as the rectum. The pelvic cavity is bounded cranially by the abdominal cavity, dorsally by the sacrum, and laterally by the pelvis.

Dorsal cavity
The smaller of the two main cavities is called the dorsal cavity. As its name implies, it contains organs lying more posterior in the body. The dorsal cavity, again, can be divided into two portions. The upper portion, or the cranial cavity, houses the brain, and the lower portion, or vertebral canal houses the spinal cord.

Answered by alok , an ibibo Master, at 1:55 PM on August 07, 2008

A body cavity can be defined as the space that remains after the organs inside it are removed, but this definition does not do justice to the variety andfunctions of body cavities. Humans have four body cavities: (1) the dorsal body cavity that encloses the brain and spinal cord; (2) the thoracic cavity that encloses the heart and lungs; (3) the abdominal cavity that encloses most of the digestive organs and kidneys; and (4) the pelvic cavity that encloses the bladder and reproductive organs. The cranial cavity cushions and protects the brain within a rigid skull. The other body cavities also cushion internal organs, but instead of being rigid, they have to be flexible for the heart, lungs, digestive organs, and reproductive organs to expand.

In humans all but the cranial cavity develop from the coelom (pronounced SEE-lum). A coelom is a cavity that is entirely enclosed within cells derived from the middle layer of embryonic tissue. A few groups of animals, such as roundworms (Nematoda), have a body cavity that is only partly enclosed by tissue from the middle layer. Such a body cavity is called a pseudocoelom (pronounced SOO-doe-SEE-lum). In a few other groups, such as flatworms (Platyhelminthes), there is no body cavity.

Answered by Priyanka C , an ibibo Master, at 2:02 PM on August 01, 2008

It is an orifice or a doorway into the body. Humans are said to have 9 of them.

Answered by suresh vv , an ibibo Citizen, at 11:34 PM on July 29, 2008

well deepthi, A body cavity is any fluid filled space in a multicellular organism. However, the term usually refers to the space, located between an animal’s outer covering (epidermis) and the outer lining of the gut cavity, where internal organs develop. "The body cavity" of human body cavities normally refers to the ventral body cavity, because it is by far the largest one in area.

The type of body cavity places an organism into one of these three groups:

Coelomates (also known as eucoelomates--"true coelom") have a fluid filled body cavity called a coelom (pronounced /ˈsiːləm/) with a complete lining called peritoneum derived from mesoderm (one of the three primary tissue layers). The complete mesoderm lining allows organs to be attached to each other so that they can be suspended in a particular order while still being able to move freely within the cavity. Most bilateral animals, including all the vertebrates, are coelomates.
Pseudocoelomate animals have a pseudocoel, (literally “false cavity”) which is a fully functional body cavity. Tissue derived from mesoderm only partly lines the fluid filled body cavity of these animals. Thus, although organs are held in place loosely, they are not as well organized as in a coelomate. All pseudocoelomates are protostomes; however, not all protostomes are pseudocoelomates. An example of a Pseudocoelomate is the roundworm. Pseudocoelomate animals are also referred to as Hemocoel and Blastocoelomate.
Acoelomate animals, like flatworms, have no body cavity at all. Organs have direct contact with the epithelium. Semi-solid mesodermal tissues between the gut and body wall hold their organs in place.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_c avity

Answered by Debashis , an ibibo Master, at 10:17 AM on July 29, 2008

By the broadest definition, a body cavity is any fluid filled space in a multicellular organism. However, the term usually refers to the space, located between an animal’s outer covering (epidermis) and the outer lining of the gut cavity, where internal organs develop. "The body cavity" of human body cavities normally refers to the ventral body cavity, because it is by far the largest one in area.

The type of body cavity places an organism into one of these three groups:

* Coelomates (also known as eucoelomates--"true coelom") have a fluid filled body cavity called a coelom (pronounced /ˈsiːləm/) with a complete lining called peritoneum derived from mesoderm (one of the three primary tissue layers). The complete mesoderm lining allows organs to be attached to each other so that they can be suspended in a particular order while still being able to move freely within the cavity. Most bilateral animals, including all the vertebrates, are coelomates.

* Pseudocoelomate animals have a pseudocoel, (literally “false cavity”) which is a fully functional body cavity. Tissue derived from mesoderm only partly lines the fluid filled body cavity of these animals. Thus, although organs are held in place loosely, they are not as well organized as in a coelomate. All pseudocoelomates are protostomes; however, not all protostomes are pseudocoelomates. An example of a Pseudocoelomate is the roundworm. Pseudocoelomate animals are also referred to as Hemocoel and Blastocoelomate.

* Acoelomate animals, like flatworms, have no body cavity at all. Organs have direct contact with the epithelium. Semi-solid mesodermal tissues between the gut and body wall hold their organs in place.


And for more information you can visit the source site:

http://en.wikipedia.o rg/wiki/Body_cavity

Answered by Dinesh , an ibibo Master, at 6:11 AM on July 29, 2008

A body cavity can be defined as the space that remains after the organs inside it are removed, but this definition does not do justice to the variety andfunctions of body cavities. Humans have four body cavities: (1) the dorsal body cavity that encloses the brain and spinal cord; (2) the thoracic cavity that encloses the heart and lungs; (3) the abdominal cavity that encloses most of the digestive organs and kidneys; and (4) the pelvic cavity that encloses the bladder and reproductive organs. The cranial cavity cushions and protects the brain within a rigid skull. The other body cavities also cushion internal organs, but instead of being rigid, they have to be flexible for the heart, lungs, digestive organs, and reproductive organs to expand.

In humans all but the cranial cavity develop from the coelom (pronounced SEE-lum). A coelom is a cavity that is entirely enclosed within cells derived from the middle layer of embryonic tissue. A few groups of animals, such as roundworms (Nematoda), have a body cavity that is only partly enclosed by tissue from the middle layer. Such a body cavity is called a pseudocoelom (pronounced SOO-doe-SEE-lum). In a few other groups, such as flatworms (Platyhelminthes), there is no body cavity.

Answered by KHURSHEED , an ibibo Master, at 7:41 PM on July 28, 2008

A body cavity is any fluid filled space in a multicellular organism. However, the term usually refers to the space, located between an animal’s outer covering (epidermis) and the outer lining of the gut cavity, where internal organs develop. "The body cavity" of human body cavities normally refers to the ventral body cavity, because it is by far the largest one in area.

The human body consists of the following body cavities:

dorsal body cavity ,
cranial cavity, enclosed by the Skull and contains the brain, eyes, and ears.
spinal canal, enclosed by the spine and contains the spinal cord.
ventral body cavity
thoracic cavity, enclosed by the ribcage and contains the lungs and heart.
abdominopelvic cavity ,
abdominal cavity, enclosed by the ribcage and pelvis and contains the kidneys, ureters, stomach, intestines, liver, gallblader, and pancreas
pelvic cavity, enclosed by the pelvis and contains bladder, anus and reproductive system.
SOURCE SITE :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Human_body_cavities

Answered by sanya tahir , an ibibo Master, at 5:25 PM on July 28, 2008

The various organs of the body are located in different bony or muscular cavities
Cranial cavity- Brain with its covering is lovated here
Spinal cavity- contains the spinal cord along with the covering meninges .Various spinal nerves emerge from the gaps between two vertebral bones
Thoracis cavity- is formed by the ribs and muscles. It is seperated from the abdomen by a dome like muscle called diaphrqgm. It contains heart, lungs, trache and oesphagus
Abdominal cavity is under the diaphragm. It has liver on right upper corner. stomach is the centre. Spleen is on the left upper corner.The intestine take up most of the space. It also contains pancreas. kidneys are located towards the back
Pelvic cavity is the lower most part. It contains urinary bladder, rectum and anus.

Answered by jyothi , an ibibo Master, at 3:55 PM on July 28, 2008

By the broadest definition, a body cavity is any fluid filled space in a multicellular organism. However, the term usually refers to the space, located between an animal’s outer covering (epidermis) and the outer lining of the gut cavity, where internal organs develop. "The body cavity" of human body cavities normally refers to the ventral body cavity, because it is by far the largest one in area.

Answered by SESHAN , an ibibo Master, at 3:54 PM on July 28, 2008