What is the backbone called?
The backbone is called the vertebral column (spine). Gray's Anatomy (1918) describes it as a flexible column of 33 bones (vertebrae) stacked one on top of the other.
What it is
- A flexible column of 33 bones (vertebrae) stacked one on top of the other.
- Grouped into 7 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 fused sacral, and 4 fused coccygeal vertebrae.
- Encloses and protects the spinal cord.
Where it is
- Runs down the midline of the back, from the skull to the coccyx.
- Supports the head and trunk.
- The intervertebral discs sit between adjacent vertebrae as cushions.
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Last verified: 2026-07-18
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