MEDICAL BIOLOGY, ANATOMY, HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY AND PATHOLOGY - Ya.I. Fedoniuk 2010

ANATOMY, PHYSIOLOGY, PATHOLOGY

SECTION 2. THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM (THE MECHANICS OF MOVEMENT)

THE SKELETON OF THE TRUNK

1. THE VERTEBRAL COLUMN

THE Vertebral Column (spine, columna vertebralis) serves as the primary structural support of the body, bearing the weight of the HEAD, trunk, and upper limbs and transmitting it to the pelvis and lower limbs, while also acting as a flexible axis for the trunk.

The curvature and shape of the adult human spine are shaped by bipedal posture.

In humans, the vertebral column consists of 33-34 vertebrae (vertebrae). The last 9 vertebrae fuse together to form the sacrum and the coccyx.

The vertebral column is divided into the following regions: cervical (consisting of 7 vertebrae), thoracic (12), lumbar (5), sacral (5), and coccygeal (4-5).



Last update: 08/08/2026

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