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- The vertebral column is another name for the backbone.
- It is located in the mid-dorsal region of the neck and trunk and is made up of twenty-six serially arranged vertebrae.
- The backbone is flexible due to the presence of a disc or pad of fibrous cartilage.
- These cartilage pads or discs are known as intervertebral discs.
- Each vertebrae has a hollow central portion, and these together form a structure through which the spinal cord passes.
- There are five different types of vertebrae.
- Along with the skull, sternum, and ribs, the backbone is part of the axial skeleton system.
- It extends from the base of the skull and serves as the trunk’s main framework.
- The backbone protects our spinal cord and serves as the attachment point for the ribs and back musculature.
- The number of vertebrae in adults differs from that of foetuses.