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3D medical animation still shot of human skull. The axial skeleton is the core part of the endoskeleton made of the bones of the head and trunk of vertebrates.In the human skeleton, it consists of 80 bones and is composed of the skull (28 bones, including the cranium, mandible and the middle ear ossicles), the vertebral column (26 bones, including vertebrae, sacrum and coccyx), the rib cage ...
A typical vertebra has a body (vertebral body), also known as the centrum, which consists of a large anterior middle portion, and a posterior vertebral arch, [2] also called a neural arch. [3] The body is composed of cancellous bone , which is the spongy type of osseous tissue , whose microanatomy has been specifically studied within the ...
The body and vertebral arch are ossified in the same manner as the corresponding parts in the other vertebrae, viz., one centre for the body, and two for the vertebral arch. The centres for the arch appear about the seventh or eighth week of fetal life, while the centres for the body appear in about the fourth or fifth month.
The Nomina Anatomica Avium (NAA) terminology instead uses the term thoracic vertebrae. In mammals, the term thoracic vertebrae refers only to the rib-bearing vertebrae of the chest, while the vertebrae of the lower back, which lack ribs, are referred to as lumbar vertebrae. This subdivision of the dorsal vertebral column is not applicable in ...
In human anatomy, the five vertebrae are between the rib cage and the pelvis.They are the largest segments of the vertebral column and are characterized by the absence of the foramen transversarium within the transverse process (since it is only found in the cervical region) and by the absence of facets on the sides of the body (as found only in the thoracic region).
The atlas is the topmost vertebra and the axis (the vertebra below it) forms the joint connecting the skull and spine. The atlas and axis are specialized to allow a greater range of motion than normal vertebrae. They are responsible for the nodding and rotation movements of the head.
In humans, cervical vertebrae are the smallest of the true vertebrae and can be readily distinguished from those of the thoracic or lumbar regions by the presence of a foramen (hole) in each transverse process, through which the vertebral artery, vertebral veins, and inferior cervical ganglion pass. The remainder of this article focuses upon ...
The body is like that of a cervical vertebra, being broad, concave, and lipped on either side. The superior articular surfaces are directed upward and backward; the spinous process is thick, long, and almost horizontal. The transverse processes are long, and the upper vertebral notches are deeper than those of the other thoracic vertebrae.