The chest is also called the thorax.
The thoracic (chest) cavity is the body cavity located between the neck and the diaphragm. It is surrounded by the rib cage (figure 3-1).
![3-01. THORACIC CAVITY 1 Figure 3-1. Rib cage (showing location of heart).](https://brooksidepress.org/TCCC/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Figure-3-1.-Rib-cage-showing-location-of-heart.-300x293.jpg)
The thoracic cavity contains the lungs, the heart, and many major blood vessels. Any injury to the chest can be serious. A penetrating object, for example, can puncture a lung, an artery or vein, or the heart itself.