A: The thoracic cavity protects and holds the lungs, heart, trachea, esophagus, endocrine glands, thoracic aorta and the pulmonary artery. Enclosed by the ribs, breast bone and vertebral column, it is the second-largest hollow space of the human body.
Refrigeration is necessary for hard boiled eggs if they eggs are not to be consumed within a few hours. Hard-cooked eggs in the shell can be refrigerated up to one week. They last much longer at both room temp and refrigerated, if they aren't cooked.
Hard cooking eggs should kill Salmonella bacteria, but will not keep them from spoiling or getting re-contaminated. Refrigerate hard-cooked eggs before dyeing them and keep them refrigerated when you are not using them. Do not leave eggs out of the refrigerator for more than two hours. When decorating the eggs, be sure to use a food-safe dye and work with chilled, hard-cooked eggs. When cooking, place a single layer of eggs in a saucepan. Add cold water to come at least one inch above the eggs. Cover and bring the water to a boil; turn off the heat. Let the eggs stand covered in the hot water for 15 minutes for large eggs, 12 minutes for medium, and 18 minutes for extra large. Immediately run cold water over the eggs; when they are cool, drain and refrigerate.