Final answer:
The organ that occupies the pleural cavity is the lungs, which are surrounded by the pleurae in the thoracic cavity of the trunk. So option (c) is correct.
Step-by-step explanation:
The organ that occupies the pleural cavity is the lungs. The pleural cavity is a space located in the thoracic cavity, which is part of the ventral cavity at the anterior of the trunk. The thoracic cavity is subdivided into the pleural cavities for each lung and the pericardial cavity for the heart.
The lungs are large organs of the respiratory tract and are suspended within the pleural cavities of the thorax, surrounded by pleurae tissue. Specifically, the right lung is larger with three lobes, and the left lung is smaller with two lobes to accommodate space for the heart.
The trachea (A) is a part of the respiratory system but is located anterior to the pleural cavity. The heart (B) is situated in the mediastinum, a region between the lungs, but it does not occupy the pleural cavity. The esophagus (D) and the thyroid gland (E) are also located in the neck and thoracic regions but are not housed within the pleural cavity.
The organ that occupies the pleural cavity is the lungs (C). This arrangement allows for the lubrication and smooth movement of the lungs during breathing, facilitating the expansion and contraction of the thoracic cavity during respiratory cycles.