How Many Vertebrae does a Human Being Have

Spinal/vertebral column is a peculiar feature of the vertebrates. It starts at the base of the skull and extends to the pelvis. The major functions of the vertebral column include protection of spinal cord and internal organs, structural support for head, shoulders and chest, balance and weight distribution and for maintaining flexibility and mobility. It is made up of a series of irregular bones, called vertebrae. A typical vertebra comprises two parts such as anterior vertebral body and posterior vertebral arch. Well, do you know how many vertebrae does a human being have?

There are 33 vertebrae in the spinal cord of a human being. They are broadly categorized into cervical vertebrae, thoracic vertebrae, lumbar vertebrae, sacrum and coccyx. The upper three regions include 24 vertebrae, out of which 7 are cervical vertebrae, 12 thoracic vertebrae and 5 lumbar vertebrae. In the lumbar region, there may be an additional vertebra. 5 vertebrae fuse together to form the sacrum and 3 vertebrae form the coccyx.

Cervical vertebrae are located in the neck region and are abbreviated as C1-C7. C1 is atlas vertebra and C2 is axis vertebra. Thoracic vertebrae are located in the chest region. They are abbreviated as T1-T12. They feature long spinous processes, small pedicles and relatively large intervertebral foramen. Vertebrae in the low back region are known as lumbar vertebrae. They are abbreviated as L1-L5. These vertebrae bear much body weight. Sacrum is formed of 5 fused vertebrae and it is located in the pelvis. Coccyx is formed of 3 fused vertebrae, located in the tailbone.