The thoracic cavity is the second largest hollow space of the body.

Located on the
chest. It starts from the base of the neck and ends at the bottom of our ribs. Houses the
five organs which are the heart, lungs, esophagus, trachea, and thymus. There are two
line cavities in the thoracic called serous membranes not open to the environment
which is pleurae and cover the lungs and the pericardium forms the pericardial sac and
covers the heart. Thoracic is separated from the abdominal cavity by the diaphragm.
From the anterior position, the thoracic cavity contains 12 pairs of ribs attached to the
thoracic vertebrae. The superior 7 pairs of ribs are true named vertebrosternal ribs
connected to the sternum by coastal cartilages. The inferior 5 pairs are false ribs,
because they do not reach the sternum directly. From 8 to 10 pairs are called
vertebrochondral. The lower 2 pairs which are 11 and 12 are floating or vertebral ribs
because they have no cartilaginous attachments to the sternum. The sternum is also
called the breatbone located along the anterior midline of the thoracic cage and
composed of 3 portions an upper manubrium, middle body, and lower xiphoid
process. From the posterior thoracic vertebrae position spine consists of 12 vertebrae,
labeled T1 through T12.