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In anatomy, the atlas (C1) is the most superior (first) cervical vertebra of the spine and is located in the neck. The bone is named for Atlas of Greek mythology , just as Atlas bore the weight of the heavens, the first cervical vertebra supports the head . [ 1 ]
The atlas (C1) is the topmost vertebra, and along with the axis forms the joint connecting the skull and spine. It lacks a vertebral body, spinous process, and discs either superior or inferior to it. It is ring-like and consists of an anterior arch, posterior arch, and two lateral masses. The axis (C2) forms the pivot on which the atlas rotates.
The atlas differs from the other vertebrae in that it has no body and no spinous process. It has instead a ring-like form, having an anterior and a posterior arch and two lateral masses. At the outside centre points of both arches there is a tubercle, an anterior tubercle and a posterior tubercle , for the attachment of muscles.
In anatomy, the transverse ligament of the atlas is a broad, tough ligament which arches across the ring of the atlas (first cervical vertebra) posterior to the dens [1] to keep the dens (odontoid process) in contact with the atlas. [citation needed] It forms the transverse component of the cruciform ligament of atlas.
The obliquus capitis inferior muscle (/ ə ˈ b l aɪ k w ə s ˈ k æ p ɪ t ɪ s /) is a muscle in the upper back of the neck.It is one of the suboccipital muscles.Its inferior attachment is at the spinous process of the axis; its superior attachment is at the transverse process of the atlas.
The number of vertebrae in a region can vary but overall the number remains the same. In a human spinal column, there are normally 33 vertebrae. [3] The upper 24 pre-sacral vertebrae are articulating and separated from each other by intervertebral discs, and the lower nine are fused in adults, five in the sacrum and four in the coccyx, or tailbone.
The atlanto-axial joint is a joint between the atlas bone and the axis bone, which are the first and second cervical vertebrae.It is a pivot joint that provides 40 to 70% of axial rotation of the head.
The articular process or zygapophysis (Greek: ζυγόν, romanized: zugón, lit. ' yoke ' + apophysis ) of a vertebra is a projection of the vertebra that serves the purpose of fitting with an adjacent vertebra.