BIO 251 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Sacrum, Thoracic Vertebrae, Lumbar Vertebrae
Vertebrae
• Body: principle load-bearing contact area between adjacent vertebra
• Vertebral foramen: contains the spinal cord
• Transverse processes: anchor muscles, joined together by ligaments to form a unified
structure
• Neural arch: pedicle, transverse process + lamina
• Intervertebral foramina: concavities above and below the pedicles, through which
spinal nerves emerge from the spinal cord
Cervical vertebrae
• C1-C7
• Transverse foramen: form a passageway for the vertebral artery and vertebral vein
• C1: the atlas
o Lacks a body
o Spinal foramen is enlarged to accommodate for a short portion of the brain stem
o Superior articulating facets articulate with occipital condyles of the occipital
bones
• C2: the axis
o Dens: vertical protrusion that provides a pivot point for the rotation of the atlas
