Vertebral Column

Question 1

How many bones make up the vertebral column?

Answer 1

26

Question 2

How many true (movable) vertebrae are there?

Answer 2

24

Question 3

How many total vertebrae are there?

Answer 3

33

Question 4

How many regions are there in the vertebral column?

Answer 4

5

Question 5

How many vertebrae are in the cervical region?

Answer 5

7

Question 6

How many vertebrae is in the thoracic region?

Answer 6

12

Question 7

How many vertebrae are in the lumbar region?

Answer 7

5

Question 8

How many vertebrae are in the sacral region?

Answer 8

5

Question 9

How many vertebrae are in the coccygeal region?

Answer 9

4

Question 10

What are the four curvatures of the spine?

Answer 10

•Cervical curvature
•Thoracic curvature
•Lumbar curvature
•Sacral curvature

Question 11

What are the primary curves?

Answer 11

•Thoracic curve
•Sacral curve

Question 12

What are the secondary curves?

Answer 12

•Cervical curve
•Lumbar curve

Question 13

What is the anterior, cylindrical weight bearing portion of a vertebra?

Answer 13

Body

Question 14

What two lateral structures of a vertebra form the pillars of the passageway for the spinal cord?

Answer 14

Pedicles

Question 15

On a vertebra what structures extend from the lateral pillars to the midline?

Answer 15

Laminae

Question 16

Together the posteriorly projecting pillars and the extensions to the midline form what structure?

Answer 16

Vertebral arch

Question 17

Together the posteriorly projecting pillars and the extensions to the midline form what passageway within a vertebra?

Answer 17

Vertebral foramen

Question 18

The vertebrae form what collective passageway for the spinal cord?

Answer 18

Vertebral canal

Question 19

Adjacent vertebrae form what passageways for spinal nerves?

Answer 19

Intervertebral foramina

Question 20

What posteriorly projecting structures of the vertebrae can be palpated?

Answer 20

Spinous processes

Question 21

What lateral projections occur on each vertebra?

Answer 21

Transverse processes

Question 22

What processes of a vertebra form synovial joints with the vertebrae immediately superior and inferior it?

Answer 22

Superior and inferior articular processes

Question 23

What smooth, flat, articular surfaces occur on a vertebra?

Answer 23

Articular facets

Question 24

What are the pads of fibrocartilage between vertebrae?

Answer 24

Intervertebral discs

Question 25

What is the outer ring of fibrocartilage within an intervertebral disc?

Answer 25

Anulus fibrosus

Question 26

What is the inner, circular region of an intervertebral disc?

Answer 26

Nucleus pulposus

Question 27

What forms the top and bottom, portions of an intervertebral disc?

Answer 27

Cartilaginous end plate

Question 28

What structures separate the bodies of the vertebrate from C2-C3 to L5-S1

Answer 28

Intervertebral discs

Question 29

What are the three components of an intervertebral disc?

Answer 29

•Anulus fibrosus •Nucleus pulposus •Cartilaginous end plate

Question 30

Synovial joints occur between what parts of vertebrae from C2 to L5-S1

Answer 30

Superior and inferior articular processes

Question 31

What supporting ligament appears on the anterior of the vertebral body?

Answer 31

Anterior longitudinal ligament

Question 32

What supporting ligament appears on the posterior vertebral body?

Answer 32

Posterior longitudinal ligament

Question 33

What ligament is found only in the cervical spine and supports the skull by resisting flexion?

Answer 33

Ligamentum nuchae

Question 34

What is the relative size of the cervical vertebrae?

Answer 34

Small

Question 35

What is the shape of the spinous processes of C1-C6?

Answer 35

Bifid

Question 36

What openings in the cervical vertebrae allow the passage of the vertebral arteries and veins?

Answer 36

Transverse foramina

Question 37

What is another anatomical term for C1?

Answer 37

Atlas

Question 38

What structures does C1 lack?

Answer 38

•Body •Spinous process

Question 39

What is another anatomical term for C2?

Answer 39

Axis

Question 40

During development the body of C1 fuses to C2 to form what structure?

Answer 40

Dens

Question 41

What is another anatomical term for the spinous process of C7?

Answer 41

Vertebra prominens

Question 42

What is the general shape of the bodies of T1-T12?

Answer 42

Heart shape

Question 43

What is a distinguishing characteristic of many of the thoracic vertebrae?

Answer 43

The spinous process is long and pointed and in some angled sharply inferiorly

Question 44

Thoracic vertebrae can be distinguished from all other vertebrae by what features?

Answer 44

Costal facets and Demi facets

Question 45

What is the general shape of the bodies of lumbar vertebrae?

Answer 45

Large, round, or oval

Question 46

What is the characteristic of the spinous processes of the lumbar vertebrae?

Answer 46

•Thick blunt •Project posteriorly

Question 47

What is the anatomical term for the anterior, superior bulge of the sacrum?

Answer 47

Sacral promontory

Question 48

What paired openings occur on the anterior surface of the sacrum?

Answer 48

Anterior sacral formina

Question 49

What are the paired openings on the posterior side of the sacrum?

Answer 49

Posterior sacral foramina

Question 50

The spinous process of the sacrum form what structure?

Answer 50

Median sacral crest

Question 51

What lateral structures of the sacrum articulate with the ossa coxae?

Answer 51

Auricular surface

Question 52

What is the anatomical term for the tailbone?

Answer 52

Coccyx