Help! Help! Help!

[Archangelesk99]

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Hi,
The teacher promised us bonus points on the exam if we can answer this question:


What is the only body cavity that is filled with fluid and open to the outside? Also, what is its function?


Anyone know the answer?????

 

[goobernaculum]

body cavity? that could be your GI tract (mouth to anus), ear, or maybe your eye socket. it's kind of a bad question. I imagine you know what the function of all of those are.

 

[neuropain]

The peritoneal cavity opens to the outside in females via the reproductive organs....

 

[Kalel]

That's a strange question. I'd vote for the bladder, since it was asking for a cavity filled with fluid. Uterus might be an acceptable answer if someone was pregnant too.

 

[coldsteel]

The proximal colon is filled with fluid, and the colon communicates with the outside. I vote for the colon.

 

[aphistis]

Originally posted by Archangelesk99
What is the only body cavity that is filled with fluid and open to the outside? Also, what is its function?

Let's not overthink this one, people. The post-oral GI tract is functionally closed off from the outside by the anal sphincters and pharynx. The urogenital tract is imperfectly closed off by the labia for girls, and the urethra by tissue pressure. The orbits are filled by the globes, which are obviously solid in the sclera, and the outer & middle ear are normally empty of fluid. The nasal cavity is the last candidate I can think of, but normal mucus isn't a consistency I would describe as fluid. The mouth is the only logical candidate I can think of--constantly secreting saliva, and spending a significant amount of time exposed to the environment. Also, there's a lot of immune function that goes on in the mouth, in addition to the obvious task of processing food.

Now, watch your professor prove me wrong and make me look like an ass. 🙄

 

[TysonCook]

Possibly lung surfactant/lungs, aiding in alveolar opening? But I guess that it isn't really "filled" w/fluid...

Oral cavity is a good guess as well, hmmmm.

It may help if you told us what class this is in? Micro, biochem, gross?

Intriguing question.

 

[Stinger86]

A sweat gland? It's a cavity, albeit a tiny one, that secretes watery fluid directly onto the outer epidermis.

 

[goobernaculum]

The post-oral GI tract is functionally closed off from the outside by the anal sphincters and pharynx. The urogenital tract is imperfectly closed off by the labia for girls, and the urethra by tissue pressure.

Though they're functionally closed off, they're still potential cavities. Hence, the reason why it's a bad question. Then again, it's a stupid bonus question so I suppose it doesn't have to be worded well.

If I were to take any sort of stab at it, I'd say the orbit, despite it's being filled with the eyeball. It's always filled with fluid so as to keep the cornea from drying. It also has some nice little enzymes to keep bacteria from proliferating. Hope this helps.

 

[Singh]

How about gl. lacrimalis? It's filled with fluid and empties its fluid to the outside of the eyeball.

To Archangelesk99: Please enlighten us with the answer when your lecturer supplies you with one.

 

[omarsaleh66]

lacrimal gland to the nasolacrimal duct opening in the lowest meatus in the inferior concha

i agree w singh cuz it either opens in ur nose or in ur eyes when u cry


peace

Omar

 

[uhhuh]

I'm gonna agree w/ neuropain on this one - I had this question on a Histo exam in undergrad