Abdominal cavity

The abdominal cavity is the body cavity of the human body (and other animal bodies) that holds the bulk of the viscera and which is located below (or inferior to) the thoracic cavity, and above the pelvic cavity.

Organs of the abdominal cavity include the stomach, liver, gallbladder, spleen, pancreas, urinary bladder, small intestine and large intestine. (The kidneys are located not in the abdominal cavity but behind it, in the retroperitoneum.)

The abdominal cavity is lined with a protective membrane termed the peritoneum. The viscera are also covered, in the front, with a fatty layer called the omentum (or omental apron).