thoracic cavity

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Explanation of "Thoracic Cavity"

Definition: The "thoracic cavity" is a noun that refers to the space in the body that is surrounded by the ribs. It is located between the diaphragm (a muscle that helps you breathe) and the neck. This cavity contains important organs, including the lungs and the heart.

Usage Instructions:

• Use "thoracic cavity" when discussing human anatomy or the bodies of other vertebrates (animals with backbones).
• It is a formal term often used in medical, biological, or anatomical contexts.

Example Sentence:

• "When a doctor examines a patient's thoracic cavity, they are checking the health of the heart and lungs."

Advanced Usage:

In advanced discussions, you might encounter terms related to the thoracic cavity in medical texts or research papers, such as "thoracic surgery," which is surgery performed on organs within the thoracic cavity.

Word Variants:

• Thorax: This is a related term that refers to the part of the body between the neck and the abdomen, which includes the thoracic cavity.
• Thoracic: This is an adjective form that describes anything related to the thoracic cavity, such as "thoracic pain" (pain in the chest area).

Different Meanings:

In general contexts, "thoracic" will mostly relate to the chest area. It does not have other meanings outside of anatomical discussions.

Synonyms:

• Chest cavity
• Pleural cavity (though this specifically refers to the space around the lungs within the thoracic cavity)

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

While there are no direct idioms or phrasal verbs specifically related to "thoracic cavity," you might hear phrases like "having a heavy heart," which metaphorically relates to feelings of sadness or grief, but it does not directly refer to the thoracic cavity.

Summary:

The "thoracic cavity" is an important anatomical term that refers to the chest area where vital organs like the heart and lungs are located.

Academic

Noun

1. the cavity in the vertebrate body enclosed by the ribs between the diaphragm and the neck and containing the lungs and heart

Synonyms

• chest cavity