Definition of Vertebral column Vertebral column: The 33
vertebrae that fit together to form a flexible, yet
extraordinarily tough, column that serves to support the back
through a full range of motion. The vertebral column also
protects the spinal cord, which runs from the brain through the
hollow space in the middle of the vertebral column. There are 7
cervical (C1'C7), 12 thoracic (T1'T12), 5 lumbar (L1'L5), 5
sacral (S1'S5), and 3 to 5 coccygeal vertebrae in the vertebral
column, each separated by intervertebral disks. The first
cervical vertebra, known as the atlas, supports the head. It
pivots on the odontoid process of the second cervical vertebra,
the axis. The cervical vertebrae end at their juncture with the
thoracic vertebrae. The seventh cervical vertebra (the prominent
vertebra, so named because of its long spiny projection) adjoins
the first thoracic vertebra. The thoracic vertebrae provide an
attachment site for the true ribs and make up part of the back
of the chest (thorax). This part of the s