VERTEBRAL COLUMN -

• It is curved vertical about 70 cms. long.
• It consists of 33 vertebrae (after fusion 26).
• It shows 4 curvatures -

(i) Cervical curvatures

(ii) Thoracic curvatures

(iii) Lumber curvatures

(iv) Sacral curvatures

• Between vertebrae cartilagenous discs or epiphysis present.
• Type of centrum in vertebrae is acoelous or amphipalatyne.
• Vertebrae are of following types -

Cervical -         7

Thoracic -        12

Lumber -         5

Sacral -           1 (5) Caudal -                      1 (4)

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26 (33)

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