The body wall and the pleuroperitoneal cavity

Pleuroperitoneal cavity
= large internal cavity
= constitutes great part of the coelom
= it is lined by a smooth shining membrane, the parietal
peritoneum, which adheres closely to the inside of the body wall

3 layers of the body wall

a. Skin
b. Muscle
c. Parietal peritoneum

Viscera of the pleuroperitoneal cavity

= within the cavity are number of organs or viscera, most which are
from the digestive tract

Liver
= at the anterior end of the cavity is this large, brownish or grayish
organ
= consists of left and right lobes, and a small median lobe

Small median lobe = is where the gall bladder is located

Esophagus-stomach
= dorsal to the liver on the left side
= j-shaped often distended with food
= anterior is esophagus

Pylorus = the terminating constriction of the stomach

Spleen = along the posterior margin at the bend of the stomach is

this dark-colored organ

Duodenum = the first part of the intestine beyond the pylorus

Bile duct = a long, stout duct, descending from the gall bladder to
enter the duodenum shortly caudad of the bend

Pancreas
Ventral lobe: in the curve of the duodenum
Dorsal lobe: reaching to the spleen, is located by raising the
stomach and duodenum and looking dorsal to them

Spiral valve
= at the wide part of the intestine with its surface marked by
parallel rings
Valvular intestine
= part of the small intestine occupied by the spiral valve

Large intestine
= caudal to valvular intestine, this proceeds to the anus

Rectal or digitiform gland

= attached to the colon is a small cylindrical body which secretes
mucus

Anus
= the terminal chamber of the colon is the cloaca, opening to this

Papillae
= projections in the esophagus
Rugae
= lengthwise folds in the stomach

DRU

Coelom and its Origins

- it is a cavity of the hypomere, which is never segmented
- this hypomere comes in contact with a layer of voluntary muscles
and forms a lining of the body wall, known simply as the parietal
peritoneum (outer wall)
- the inner wall meanwhile become the covering layer of the
intestine and the other viscera becoming what is known as the
visceral peritoneum/serosa

= the outer and inner wall also come in contact above and below
the intestine becoming the double-walled mesentery

Dorsal mesentery: dorsal coelom and wall + intestine

Ventral mesentery: ventral wall + intestine

Divisions:
- primarily the coelom is one big cavity extending the entire trunk
region, which is separated into two longitudinal halves by the two
mesenteries
- since the ventral often disappears, the two halves connect ventral
to that of intestine

* compartmented in adults, the coelom becomes partitioned by the

transverse septum, this septum develops posterior the heart and
cuts it off from all the viscera

Result:
Small, anterior: pericardial cavity (Heart)
Large, posterior: pleuroperitoneal cavity (all the rest)

Fishes (sharks) - the pericardial cavity is anterior to the pleuro and

the septum passes transversely across the body

Reptiles exhibit a descended pericardial cavity that is now posterior

and ventral to the anterior part of the pluero and the septum
assumes an oblique position

Birds have a pleuroperitoneal cavity divided into anterior and

posterior parts by fusions between the transverse septum and other
coelomic folds.

Posterior to the lungs in birds and mammals is another division =

oblique septum/diaphragm (anterior to this is the lungs)

- each lung is found within one pleural cavity or pleural sac (thus
there are 2)
- both are separate to each other
- the heart is found in the median line between the ventral partitions

The part of the pleuroperitoneal cavity posterior to the diaphragm is

the peritoneal/abdominal cavity
- this encloses the digestive tract and the urogenital system
In short, avian and mammalian bodies posses a coelom that is
divided into 4 compartments
a) Pericaridal
b) 2 pleural
c) Peritoneal

Viscera
- are not truly found to be enclosed in the coelomic cavities
- they are covered with a visceral peritoneum, but they are outside
the cavities. They just appear within.