Vertebral Column- structure & Functions Lecture-3 (The Skeletal system) 

For the 1st lecture of this series
• Human Skeleton System ...
For the 2nd lecture of this series
• Human Skull- Cranial &...
This is the third lecture
The vertebral column
The vertebral column, also known as the spinal column, is the central axis of the skeleton in all vertebrates. The vertebral column provides attachments to muscles, supports the trunk, protects the spinal cord and nerve roots and serves as a site for haemopoiesis. The mammalian vertebral column consists of five morphologically differentiated groups of vertebrae: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral and coccygeal (caudal) .In humans, the vertebral column usually consists of 33 vertebrae, placed in series and connected by ligaments and intervertebral discs. However, the number of vertebrae can vary between 32 and 35. Usually there are 7 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 sacral and 4 caudal (coccygeal) vertebrae. In humans, the length of the vertebral column is 71 cm in males and 61 cm in females.