In human anatomy, the vertebral column (backbone or spine) is a column of vertebrae situated in the dorsal aspect of the abdomen. It houses the spinal cord in its spinal canal. Vertebral column - Curves. Viewed laterally the vertebral column presents several curves, which correspond to the different regions of the column, and are called cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and pelvic. The cervical curve, convex forward, begins at the apex of the odontoid (tooth-like) process, and ends at the mid ...

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Vertebral column - Curves Vertebral column - Surfaces
Vertebral column - Anterior surface Vertebral column - Posterior surface Vertebral column - Lateral surfaces
Vertebral column - Vertebral canal Vertebral column - Abnormalities Vertebral column - Links

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Vertebral column, Vertebral column - Curves, Vertebral column - Surfaces, Vertebral column - Anterior surface, Vertebral column - Posterior surface, Vertebral column - Lateral surfaces, Vertebral column - Vertebral canal, Vertebral column - Abnormalities, Vertebral column - Links

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Occasionally the coalescence of the laminae is not completed, and consequently a cleft is left in the arches of the vertebrae, through which a protrusion of the spinal membranes (dura mater and arachnoid), and generally of the spinal cord (medulla spinalis) itself, takes place, constituting the malformation known as spina bifida. This condition is most common in the lumbosacral region, but it may occur in the thoracic or cervical region, or the arches throughout th ...

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Vertebral column, Vertebral column - Curves, Vertebral column - Surfaces, Vertebral column - Anterior surface, Vertebral column - Posterior surface, Vertebral column - Lateral surfaces, Vertebral column - Vertebral canal, Vertebral column - Abnormalities, Vertebral column - Links

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In anatomy, the throat is the part of the neck anterior to the vertebral column. It consists of the pharynx and larynx. The throat contains various blood vessels, various pharyngeal muscles, the trachea (windpipe) and the esophagus. The hyoid bone is the only bone located in the throat of mammals. Categories: Head and neck | Respiratory system ...

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Vertebrae (singular: vertebra) are the individual bones that make up the vertebral column (aka spine) — a flexuous and flexible column. There are thirty-three (33) vertebrae in humans, including the five that are fused to form the sacrum (the others are separated by intervertebral discs) and the four coccygeal bones which form the tailbone. The upper three regions comprise the remaining 24, and are grouped under the names cervical (7 vertebrae), thoracic (12 vertebrae) and lumbar (5 v ...

Including:

Vertebra - General structure Vertebra - Cervical vertebrae Vertebra - Thoracic vertebrae Vertebra - Lumbar vertebrae Vertebra - Vertebral Development

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Back. The human back is the large posterior area of the body rising from the the top of the buttocks to the back of the neck. In anatomy, the back usually refers to the posterior side of the torso in humans and other primates. It is supported by the vertebral column. In stringed musical instruments, the back is the lower or inner surface of the resonant cavity; the opposite one, nearer the strings, is the belly. Back can also refer to the direction of tr

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Cauda equina syndrome is a serious neurologic condition in which there is compression of the vertebral column (spine) affecting the S1-S4 nerve roots. Most commonly, it is caused by a massive herniated disc at the L4-5 level. Other causes can be traumatic or a tumour. Cauda equina syndrome is a medical emergency, although there is no good evidence that earliest possible operation leads to a better result than after a delay. Cauda equina syndrome - Signs. Signs include weakness of the m ...

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Cauda equina syndrome - Signs

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The coccyx (Latin: os coccygis), commonly referred to as the tailbone, is the final segment of the human vertebral column, of three to five (usually four) fused vertebrae (the coccygeal vertebrae), below the sacrum. It is attached to the sacrum in a fibrocartilaginous joint, which permits limited movement between them. Coccyx - Function. The coccyx is regarded as vestigial in humans, meaning it no longer serves major functions it did in ancestor species of humans. (Those included suppor ...

Including:

Coccyx - Function Coccyx - Structure
Coccyx - Surfaces Coccyx - Borders Coccyx - Base Coccyx - Apex
Coccyx - Pathology

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Vertebral column - Anterior surface. When viewed from in front, the width of the bodies of the vertebrae is seen to increase from the second cervical to the first thoracic; there is then a slight diminution in the next three vertebrae; below this there is again a gradual and progressive increase in width as low as the sacrovertebral angle. From this point there is a rapid diminution, to the apex of the coccyx.

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Vertebral column, Vertebral column - Curves, Vertebral column - Surfaces, Vertebral column - Anterior surface, Vertebral column - Posterior surface, Vertebral column - Lateral surfaces, Vertebral column - Vertebral canal, Vertebral column - Abnormalities, Vertebral column - Links

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As people age, the nucleus pulposus begins to dehydrate, which limits its ability to absorb shock. The annulus fibrosus gets weaker with age and begins to tear. While this may not cause pain in some people, in others one or both of these may cause chronic pain. Pain due to the inability of the dehydrating nucleus pulposus to absorb shock is called axial pain or disc space pain. One generally r ...

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Intervertebral disc, Intervertebral disc - Medical conditions related to the intervertebral disc

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During the fourth week of embryonic development, the sclerotomes shift their position to surround the spinal cord and the notochord. The sclerotome is made of mesoderm and originates from the ventromedial part of the somites. This column of tissue has a segmented appearance, with alternating areas of dense and less dense areas. As the sclerotome develops, it condenses further eventually developing into the vertebral body. Development of the appropriate shapes of the vertebral bodies is regulated by HOX genes. The less dense tissue that separates the scleroto ...

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Vertebra, Vertebra - General structure, Vertebra - Cervical vertebrae, Vertebra - Thoracic vertebrae, Vertebra - Lumbar vertebrae, Vertebra - Vertebral Development

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To cut a T-bone from butchered cattle, a lumbar vertebra is sawed in half through the vertebral column. The downward prong of the 'T' is a transverse process of the vertebra, and the flesh surrounding it is the spinal muscles. The small semi-circle at the top of the 'T' is half the vertebral foramen. Although the spinal cord is removed by packers during processing, there is still concern (in the European Union) that it could be a source of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, more popularly known as mad cow disease. This is because spinal tissue contains nerve cells ...

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T-bone steak, T-bone steak - Anatomy of the T-Bone, T-bone steak - Preparation

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Its appearance during gestation synchronizes with that of the neural tube. On the ventral aspect of the neural groove an axial thickening of the endoderm takes place. This thickening assumes the appearance of a furrow (the chordal furrow) the margins of which come into contact, and so convert it into a solid rod of cells (the notochord) which is then separated from the endoderm. In higher vertebrates, it extends throughout the entire length of the future vertebral column, and reaches as far as the anterior end of the midbrain, where i ...

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Notochord, Notochord - Development, Notochord - Research, Notochord - Reference

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The sympathetic nerves emerge near the spinal cord, inside the vertebral column, travelling along the path of the nerve roots. After a few twists and turns, sympathetic nerves branch off and travel into major organs, glands, and other groupings of nerves (sometimes called ganglia). [1] Cells of the SNS originate toward the middle of the spinal column, intermediolateral cell column, starting with the thoracic vertebrae numbers 1 through 12 (T1-T12) and endin ...

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Sympathetic nervous system, Sympathetic nervous system - Function, Sympathetic nervous system - Organization, Sympathetic nervous system - Information Transmission

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The sympathetic nerves emerge near the spinal cord, inside the vertebral column, travelling along the path of the nerve roots. After a few twists and turns, sympathetic nerves branch off and travel into major organs, glands, and other groupings of nerves (called ganglia). [1] Its cells originate toward the middle of the spinal cord in the intermediolateral cell column (or lateral horn), beginning with cells in the first thoracic segment of the spinal cord and extending into the second or third lumbar segments. Because its cells begin ...

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Sympathetic nervous system, Sympathetic nervous system - Function, Sympathetic nervous system - Organization, Sympathetic nervous system - Information transmission

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Labyrinthodontia Diagnostic features unique to the Labyrinthodontia are hard to find at first glance; the complex dentine infolding tooth structure was shared with crossopterygian fish. The labyrinthodonts are divided into the Temnospondyli and the Anthracosauria, the main difference between the two groups being their respective vertebral structures. The Anthracosauria had small pleurocentra, which grew and fused, becoming the true centrum in later vertebrates. In contrast, the Temnospondyli had a conservative vertebral column in whic ...

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Tetrapod, Tetrapod - Evolution, Tetrapod - Devonian tetrapods, Tetrapod - Carboniferous tetrapods, Tetrapod - Permian Tetrapods, Tetrapod - Living tetrapods, Tetrapod - Classification, Tetrapod - Tetrapod groups, Tetrapod - Anatomy, Tetrapod - Anatomical features of early tetrapods, Tetrapod - Skull, Tetrapod - Dentition, Tetrapod - Sensory organs, Tetrapod - Hearing, Tetrapod - Girdles, Tetrapod - Limbs, Tetrapod - Feeding, Tetrapod - Respiration, Tetrapod - Locomotion

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Human back - Skeletal structure of the back. The central feature of the human back is the vertebral column, specifically the length from the top of the thoracic vertebrae to the bottom of the lumbar vertebrae, which houses the spinal cord in its spinal canal, and which generally has some curvature that gives shape to the back. The ribcage extends from the spine at the top of the back (with the top of the ribcage corresponding to the T1 vertebra), more than halfway down the length of the back, leaving an area with ...

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Human back, Human back - Anatomy of the back, Human back - Skeletal structure of the back, Human back - Muscles of the back, Human back - Organs of the back, Human back - Surface of the back, Human back - Significance in human society

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Osteoporosis - Clinical picture. Osteoporotic fractures are those that occur under slight amount of stresses that would not normally lead to fractures in nonosteoporotic people. Typical fractures occur in the vertebral column, hip and wrist. Collapse of vertebrae ("compression fracture") leads to chronic pain, characteristic bent stature, and decreased pulmonary function (ability to breathe) while the fractures of the long bones acutely impair mobility and may require surgery. Hip fracture, in particular, carries a poor prognosis. While osteoporosis may occur in men, the problem i ...

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Osteoporosis, Osteoporosis - Signs and symptoms, Osteoporosis - Clinical picture, Osteoporosis - Risk factors, Osteoporosis - Diagnosis, Osteoporosis - Etiology, Osteoporosis - Pathogenesis, Osteoporosis - Epidemiology, Osteoporosis - Natural history, Osteoporosis - Treatment, Osteoporosis - Prognosis, Osteoporosis - Notes

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The mediastinum lies between the right and left pleuræ in and near the median sagittal plane of the chest. It extends from the sternum in front to the vertebral column behind, and contains all the thoracic viscera excepting the lungs. It may be divided for purposes of description into two parts: an upper portion, above the upper level of the pericardium, which is named the superior mediastinum; and a lower portion, below the upper level of the pericardium. This lower portion is again subdivided into three parts, ...

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Mediastinum, Mediastinum - Anatomy, Mediastinum - Superior mediastinum, Mediastinum - Inferior mediastinum, Mediastinum - Role in disease

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Due to the large diversity of frogs (over 4000 species), many characteristics are not shared throughout all of the species. However, there are some characteristics which distinguish them from other amphibians. Frogs are generally well suited to jumping, and have long hind legs, with elongated ankle bones. They have a short vertebral column, with no more than ten free vertebrae, followed by a fused tail bone, usually resulting in a frog with no tail. Frogs range in size from 10mm (Psyllophryne didactyla of Brazil and Eleut ...

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Frog, Frog - Characteristics, Frog - Call, Frog - Poison, Frog - Distribution and status, Frog - Life cycle, Frog - Diversity of reproductive behaviours, Frog - Diet and Predators, Frog - Taxonomy, Frog - Frogs in popular culture

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