ANP 1106 Chapter Notes - Chapter 5: Intervertebral Foramina, Cervical Vertebrae, Intervertebral Disc

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Anatomy and Physiology
• Course: ANP 1106
• Professor: Jacqueline Carnegie

Document Summary

Vertebral/spinal column or spine = 26 irregular bones connected lexibly/curved. Axial support of the trunk; extends from the skull pelvis; transmits the weight of the trunk to the lower limbs. Surrounds/protects the delicate spinal cord; provides atachment points for the ribs and the muscle of the back/neck. Vertebrae = separate bones: 33 in infancy; botom 9 fuse to form the sacrum + coccyx, separated by intervertebral discs. Vertebrae becomes larger from the cervical lumbar; supports ++weight. Everyone has the same number of cervical vertebrae; others can vary. 4 curvatures give a s/sinusoid shape; increase resilience/lexibility: cervical/lumbar curvatures: concave posteriorly, thoracic/sacral curvatures: convex posteriorly. Spine can"t stand upright alone; strap-like ligaments + trunk muscles help. Anterior and posterior longitudinal ligaments = bands of supporing ligament: run coninuously down the front/back of the vertebrae: neck sacrum. Broad anterior ligament = strongly atached to both the bony vertebrae/discs: prevents hyperextension (bending too far backward)