Central part of the living body
This article is about the animal central body part. For the elephant body part, see
Proboscis .
Thetorso ortrunk is ananatomical term for the central part, or thecore , of thebody of manyanimals (includinghuman beings), from which thehead ,neck ,limbs ,tail and otherappendages extend.
Thetetrapod torso — including that of ahuman — can be divided into segments:
The chest orupper torso . This section is also called thethorax or thethoracic . This is where theforelimbs extend. Theabdomen .abdomenal sectionis also known as the "mid-section" ormidriff . Thepelvis perineum . Sometimes the pelvic, perineal, and abdomenal regions are grouped together and called thelower torso.
Thehindlimbs extend from the lower torso.[ 1]
The back is also part of the torso.
Surface projections of major organs of the torso, using thevertebral column andrib cage as main reference sources. In humans, most criticalorgans , with the notable exception of the brain, are housed within the torso. In the upper chest, theheart andlungs are protected by therib cage , and theabdomen contains most of the organs responsible fordigestion : thestomach , which breaks down partially digested food viagastric acid ; theliver , which respectively producesbile necessary for digestion; thelarge andsmall intestines , which extract nutrients from food; theanus , from whichfecal wastes are egested; therectum , which storesfeces ; thegallbladder , which stores and concentrates bile; thekidneys , which produceurine , theureters , which pass it to thebladder for storage; and theurethra , which excretes urine and in a male passessperm through theseminal vesicles . Finally, thepelvic region houses both the male and femalereproductive organs .
Major muscle groups [ edit ] The torso also harbours many of the main groups of muscles in thetetrapod body, including thepectoral ,abdominal ,lateral andepaxial muscles .
The organs, muscles, and other contents of the torso are supplied by nerves, which mainly originate asnerve roots from the thoracic and lumbar parts of thespinal cord . Some organs also receive a nerve supply from thevagus nerve . Thesensation to the skin is provided by thelateral and dorsal cutaneous branches.
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