How many vertebrae a person has, it's not difficult to find out

The spinal column performs a lot of functions in man: he protects the spinal cord, supports the body in space, serves as a fixator for organs and muscles, and also provides movement. It consists of separate elements called vertebrae. As they move away from the head, they carry a lot of weight and, due to this, they become bigger and more massive.

The question of how many vertebrae a person has, has been solved for a long time. In total, they range from 32 to 34, and they are separated from each other by intervertebral discs, due to which trunk movements are provided. The spinal column is divided into several departments. The first department is called the cervical, the second - the thoracic, the third - the lumbar, then the sacral and coccygeal divisions. The structure of each component of the spine is similar except for a few differences. Significant differences have the first and second.

So how many vertebrae a person has in each department? Seven in the cervix, in the thoracic - twelve, the lumbar is represented by five massive vertebrae. Five sacral fused into a single monolith, which is called the sacrum. But the rest of the tail consists of vertebrae, represented in the number from three to five.

Each department has its anatomical features. It is best to study the structure of the human spine in pictures. They can become an alternative to a natural preparation or a moulage. The vertebra is the simplest element that includes the human skeleton. The spine, despite its simplicity, is a very important part, traumas or injuries which can lead to serious consequences.

We have already found out how many vertebrae a person has, it remains only briefly to characterize each of them by department. The first cervical is called "atlant", the head is directly attached to it. He has no body, it passed to the second cervical vertebra in the form of a tooth. His own body was preserved in other representatives of the cervical department. On the sides of the cervical vertebrae there are holes that form a channel. There is an artery feeding the brain. And the vertebrae, together with representatives of other departments, limit the channel of the spinal cord, in which it actually passes.

In the thoracic region, vertebrae are distinguished by the presence of pits. In these pits, ribs are attached, which form the thorax together with the sternum. The vertebral bodies in this department are more massive, and the channel for the artery is absent, there is only a channel for the spinal cord. The lumbar section carries almost the entire weight of the human body and has large and massive vertebrae.

After the lumbar spine follows the sacrum. It is bone-monolith, it participates in the formation of the pelvis. A lot of nerves come out of it, which come from the holes in the pelvic cavity and back. In the sacrum, a smooth pelvic surface (or anterior one) and an uneven dorsal (or posterior) surface are distinguished. The answer to the question of how many vertebrae a person has in the coccygeal department is ambiguous - their number varies. This department has no great importance. Muscles are attached to it. The coccyx is capable of deflecting during labor in women, thereby increasing the size of the exit from the pelvis.