The posterior (dorsal) cavity is located near the back of the body and has two subdivisions. Which are they?

• A. Posterior cavity
• B. Cranial and Spinal
• C. Cranial cavity
• D. Spinal cavity

Answer: (B)

The dorsal (posterior) cavity is split into two spaces: the cranial cavity and the spinal cavity. The cranial cavity sits inside the skull and houses the brain, while the spinal cavity runs within the vertebral column and contains the spinal cord. They form a continuous space along the back of the body and are protected by the meninges with cerebrospinal fluid circulating to cushion the CNS. Naming both parts together is why this choice fits—one part alone doesn’t describe the entire dorsal cavity, and calling it just the posterior cavity doesn’t identify its two subdivisions.