Thoracic Cavity

The thoracic cavity contains the lungs, heart, and great blood vessels. The thoracic cavity contains a pleural cavity on the right and left, and the pericardial cavity is housed in the mediastinum. Specifically, the pericardial cavity is the fluid-filled space between the visceral and parietal pericardium.

Figure 1: The thoracic cavity is the superior cavity in the ventral body cavity.