Question

How many bones are in the spine?

Answer 1

Hint: A complex anatomical structure that is the scaffolding for the entire body is the human spine. It offers many main roles, including the defense of the spinal cord and nerves.

Complete answer:
The human spinal cord which is a part of the central nervous system is about 45 cm in men and in women it is about 43 cm long. The width of the spinal cord ranges from 13 mm thick in the cervical and lumbar areas to 6.4 mm thick in the thoracic zone.

The average person is born with 33 individual bones (the vertebrae) that, through flexible joints called facets, interact and communicate with each other. By the time an individual becomes an adult, most of the vertebrae have only 24, and during normal growth and development, some vertebrae at the lower end of the spine fuse together. An individual may often have an additional vertebra, called a transitional body, which is typically located at the sixth level of the lumbar zone.

A sacrum is considered the bottom of the spine. It is composed of multiple vertebral bodies that are normally united as one. The remaining tiny bones or ossicles are also fused together below the sacrum and are called the tailbone or coccyx. Above the sacrum, the spine consists of:

1)In the neck, seven bones-the cervical spine
2)In the chest, 12 bones-the thoracic spine
3)In the lower back, five bones—the lumbar spine

Solid bones, unique joints, flexible ligaments and tendons, large muscles and extremely sensitive nerves are included in the spinal column.

Note: The 33 bones in the human spinal column are in following arrangement:
 7 vertebrae in the cervical region, 12 in the thoracic region, 5 in the lumbar region, 5 in the sacral region and 4 in the coccygeal region.