ANA300Y1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Thoracic Vertebrae, Cervical Vertebrae, Symmetry Operation
Document Summary
Acts as the axial support of the body, it extends from the skull to the pelvis. It is important to realize the column is not straight; it has a natural s" curve, which aids in support and movement. It consists of 24 irregular bones connected and is reinforced by ligaments so that its flexible curved structure can protect the spinal cord. At birth there are 33 separate bones called vertebrae, but 9 of these bones eventually fuse to form the sacrum (5) and the coccyx (4) So an adult has only 24 single vertebrae. The 24 single vertebrae can be divided into 3 sections: The atlas sits on top of the ais and the joint between the atlas and axis gives us a lot of mobility in the neck. All thoracic vertebrae are attached to a pair of ribs. They are thick in size due to the fact that they receive most of the stress of the body.
