Which cavities within the thoracic cavity contain the lungs?

• A. Mediastinal cavity
• B. Abdominopelvic cavity
• C. Pleural cavities
• D. Pericardial cavity

Answer: (C)

Lungs reside in the pleural cavities, two separate spaces within the thoracic cavity. Each lung sits inside its own pleural cavity, lined by the visceral pleura on the lung surface and the parietal pleura along the chest wall, with a thin lubricating fluid between them to allow smooth expansion during breathing. The mediastinum is the central thoracic compartment that houses the heart and other structures, but not the lungs. The pericardial cavity, which contains the heart, is within the mediastinum. The abdominopelvic cavity lies below the diaphragm and is not part of the thoracic cavity. Therefore, the cavities that contain the lungs are the pleural cavities.