VERTEBRAL COLUMN OF FUNCTIONS::
Vertebral column is a powerful and flexible pillar it supports neural arches of the vertebral column to form a long bony tube it gives attachment to ribs and a large group of muscles of the neck chest and back pairs of spinal nerves emerge from the spinal cord through the vertebral column it thus effectively protects the spinal cord from shocks accidents jerks and injuries it also serves as a pillar for large number of muscles
The bones of vertebral column become increasingly large as the column descends reaching their maximum with at the upper part of sacrum the sacrum then tapers off into the coccyx when vertebral column is looked at from the side one can see various curves it is convex forward in the cervical or neck region the thoracic region is convex backward the lumbar region is markedly convex forward the sacrum and coccyx form a marked forward concavity
A vertebra consists of an anterior circular solid body with two neural arches form bony ring for the spinal cord from the body ring three projections arise which are known as processes the processes one on each side are called transverse processes and the projection on the back in the centre is called spine there are elastic cartilages in between all the movable vertebrae like cushions known as inter vertebral discs they act as buffers and prevent sudden jerks to the delicate spinal cord which runs in the central canal
the individual vertebrae are built on the same plan however there are certain variations in different parts such as the body the spinous process and transverse processes
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