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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 ...
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 spinal nerves arise from the spinal column. The top section of the spine is the cervical section, which contains nerves that innervate muscles of the head, neck and thoracic cavity, as well as transmit sensory information to the CNS. The cervical spine section contains seven vertebrae, C-1 through C-7, and eight nerve pairs, C-1 through C-8.
In the whale, the cervical vertebrae are typically fused, an adaptation trading flexibility for stability during swimming. [28] [29] All mammals except manatees and sloths have seven cervical vertebrae, whatever the length of the neck. [30] This includes seemingly unlikely animals such as the giraffe, the camel, and the blue whale, for example.
Within these compartments, the neck houses the cervical vertebrae, the cervical portion of the spinal cord, upper parts of the respiratory and digestive tracts, endocrine glands, nerves, arteries and veins. The muscles of the neck, which are separate from the compartments, form the boundaries of the neck triangles. [2]
At each cervical level, the vertebral artery sends branches to the surrounding musculature via the anterior spinal arteries. Segments of vertebral artery anterior projection. The vertebral artery may be divided into four parts: The first (preforaminal) part runs upward and backward between the anterior scalene and the longus colli muscles.
In anatomy, the axis (from Latin axis, "axle") is the second cervical vertebra (C2) of the spine, immediately inferior to the atlas, upon which the head rests. The spinal cord passes through the axis. The defining feature of the axis is its strong bony protrusion known as the dens, which rises from the superior aspect of the bone.
The anterior scalene muscle (Latin: scalenus anterior), lies deeply at the side of the neck, behind the sternocleidomastoid muscle.It arises from the anterior tubercles of the transverse processes of the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth cervical vertebrae, and descending, almost vertically, is inserted by a narrow, flat tendon into the scalene tubercle on the inner border of the first rib, and ...