Vertebral Column/Spinal Column

Question 1

What is the number of vertebrae in a typical adolescent?

Answer 1

33 segments

Question 2

What is the number of vertebrae in a typical adult?

Answer 2

26 segments

Question 3

What constitutes the spine?

Answer 3

The 24 presacral segments; the cervical, thoracic and lumbar vertebrae

Question 4

Which mammals have more than seven cervical vertebrae?

Answer 4

The ant bear and the three-toed sloth

Question 5

Which mammals have less than seven cervical vertebrae?

Answer 5

The manatee and two-toed sloth

Question 6

What does the term “cervical” refer to?

Answer 6

The region of the neck

Question 7

What does the term “thoracic” refer to?

Answer 7

Breast plate or chest; it referred to the armor bearing region of the torso

Question 8

What other term is often used to identify the vertebral segments of the chest?

Answer 8

The dorsal segments; the dorsals

Question 9

What does the term “lumbar” refer to?

Answer 9

The loin; the region between the rib and the hip

Question 10

What does the term “sacrum” refer to?

Answer 10

The holy bone or holy region

Question 11

What does the term “coccyx” refer to?

Answer 11

A cuckoo birds’ bill or cuckoo birds’ beak

Question 12

What is the length of a typical male spinal column?

Answer 12

About 70 cm or 28 in

Question 13

What is the length of a typical female spinal column?

Answer 13

About 60 cm or 25 in

Question 14

What is the length difference between a typical male and typical female spinal column?

Answer 14

about 3 in

Question 15

What is the length of the male cervical region?

Answer 15

about 12 cm or 5 in.

Question 16

What is the length of the male thoracic region?

Answer 16

About 28 cm or 11 in

Question 17

What is the length of the male lumbar region?

Answer 17

About 18cm or 7 in

Question 18

What is the length of the male sacrum?

Answer 18

About 12 cm or 5 in

Question 19

Based on the numbers for individual regions of the vertebral column, what is the length of the male spine?

Answer 19

About 58 cm or 23 in.

Question 20

How does the vertebral column participate in skeletal formation?

Answer 20

Ribs are formed from the costal process of the embryonic vertebral template.

Question 21

What levels of the vertebral column specifically accommodate weigh-bearing transfer?

Answer 21

S1-S3 at the auricular surface.

Question 22

What is specifically responsible for shape and position of the human frame?

Answer 22

Comparative anterior vs. posterior height of the vertebral body and comparative anterior vs. posterior height of the intervertebral disc.

Question 23

What organs is specifically associated with the horizontal axis of the skull?

Answer 23

The eye and the vestibular apparatus of the inner ear.

Question 24

Invagination of ectoderm along the primitive streak gives rise to what embryonic structure?

Answer 24

Notochord

Question 25

What is the name given to the mesoderm that will give rise to the vertebral column?

Answer 25

Paraxial mesoderm.

Question 26

Name the areas of cellular differentiation formed within the somite.

Answer 26

sclerotome, myotome, dermatome

Question 27

What are the names of the successive vertebral columns formed during development?

Answer 27

membranous, cartilaginous, skeletal/osseous

Question 28

Migration of a somite pair to surround the notochord forms what developmental feature?

Answer 28

The perichordal blastema

Question 29

The perichordal blastema gives rise to what processes?

Answer 29

the neural processes and costal processes

Question 30

What is the name of the artery located between adjacent perichordal blastema?

Answer 30

Intersegmental artery

Question 31

What forms between the sclerotomites of a perichordal blastema?

Answer 31

The intrasclerotomal fissure of von Ebner

Question 32

The intrasclerotomal fissure of von Ebner gives rise to what developmental feature?

Answer 32

The perichordal disc

Question 33

The union of a dense caudal sclerotomite and a loose cranial sclerotomite from adjacent perichordal blastemae gives rise to what feature?

Answer 33

The vertebral blastema

Question 34

What vessel will be identified adjacent to the vertebral blastema?

Answer 34

The segmental artery

Question 35

When will cartilage first form in the membranous vertebral blastema?

Answer 35

Beginning in the 6th embryonic week

Question 36

What is the name given to the replacement of mesoderm by cartilage?

Answer 36

Chondrification

Question 37

How many centers of chondrification typically appear in the vertebral blastema?

Answer 37

Six - 2 for the centrum - 2 for the neural arches - 2 for each transverse process

Question 38

What is the earliest time that centers of ossification appear in the cartilaginous vertebrae?

Answer 38

During the 7th embryonic week

Question 39

What is the name given to centers of ossification based on time of appearance?

Answer 39

Primary centers appear in utero, secondary centers appear after birth

Question 40

What is the ratio of primary to secondary centers of ossification for a typical vertebra?

Answer 40

3 primary centers | 5 secondary centers

Question 41

What are the names of the primary centers of ossification for a typical vertebra?

Answer 41

Centrum centers and neural arch centers

Question 42

What are the names/locations of the five secondary centers of ossification for a typical vertebra?

Answer 42

tip of the transverse process, tip of the spinous process, epiphyseal plate centers

Question 43

What is the range of appearance for secondary centers of ossification of typical vertebra?

Answer 43

During puberty, typically ages 11-16 years old.