Anatomy & Physiology › Section G · The axial and appendicular skeleton › Topic G.2
The vertebral column
The vertebral column holds up the head, carries the trunk's weight down to the pelvis, shields the spinal cord and still bends and twists. It manages all of this with a stack of 26 bones, cushioning discs and a set of long ligaments.
In this topic
- Five regions, 26 bones
- Worked example: from 33 to 26
- Four curves
- Parts of a typical vertebra
- Cervical vertebrae
- Thoracic and lumbar vertebrae
- Sacrum and coccyx
- Intervertebral discs
- Ligaments of the column
- Worked example: naming an unknown vertebra
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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