Final answer:
The heart is correctly matched with the thoracic cavity. The thoracic cavity is superior to the abdominopelvic cavity and encased by the rib cage. The brain, however, is located in the cranial cavity which is part of the dorsal cavity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct match of the organ to the cavity in which it is found is D. heart; thoracic cavity. The heart is located in the thoracic cavity, which is enclosed by the rib cage and is superior to the abdominopelvic cavity. The thoracic cavity also contains the lungs, and the heart itself is positioned in the pericardial cavity within the mediastinum.
Addressing the review questions provided, the thoracic cavity contains a component of the central nervous system in that the vertebral column, part of the dorsal cavity, extends into the lower thoracic cavity region protecting the spinal cord (b. thoracic). However, the brain is within the cranial cavity, which is a part of the larger dorsal cavity. The dorsal cavity comprises both the cranial cavity, which houses the brain, and the spinal cavity for the spinal cord.
The statement that the stomach is located in the dorsal cavity is False. The stomach is actually located in the abdominal cavity, part of the larger ventral cavity. Also, the statement a body cavity must open to the outside world is False. Many body cavities, such as the thoracic and cranial cavities, do not open directly to the outside. The vertebral column indeed surrounds the spinal cavity, making the associated statement True.
Directly below the thoracic cavity is the abdominopelvic cavity, which is subdivided into the abdominal cavity (holding digestive organs and kidneys) and the pelvic cavity (holding reproductive organs and organs of excretion). The cerebrospinal fluid is the substance that protects the brain and spinal cord.