Anatomy: Axial Skeleton- Vertebral Column

Question 1

What is the name for the axial skeleton in latin?

Answer 1

skeleton axiale

Question 2

What is the axial skeleton composed of?

Answer 2

bones on or attached to the midline (axis) of the body.
- skull
- vertebral column
- sternum
- ribs

Question 3

What type of bones is the vertebral column composed of? What are they called?

Answer 3

median, unpaired, irregular bones (called vertebrae)

Question 4

What are the 5 groups in which the vertebral column bones are arranged? Latin names?

Answer 4

1) cervical vertebrae (vertebrae cervicales)
2) thoracic vertebrae (vertebrae thoracicae (thoracicales))
thoracic skeleton (skeleton thoracis):
- ribs (costae)
- sternum
3) lumbar vertebrae (vertebrae lumbales)
4) sacrum
5) caudal vertebrae (vertebrae caudales)

Question 5

How is the vertebral formula written?

Answer 5

C7T13L7S3Cd20

Question 6

Which region of the vertebrae is the same in all animals?

Answer 6

cervical vertebrae (all 7)

(neck vertebra)

Question 7

Which vertebrae vary most differently?

Answer 7

caudal vertebrae

(tail vertebrae)

Question 8

What are the parts of the typical vetebra?

Answer 8

1) the body
2) the arch
3) the processes

Question 9

What is “the body”?

Answer 9

a cylindrical mass forming the ventral aspect of the vertebra and the vertebral foramen.

Question 10

What is “the arch”?

Answer 10

completes the vertebral foramen, which contains the spinal cord.

Question 11

what are “the processes”? What are the two different types?

Answer 11

• Cranial and caudal articular processes form joints with adjacent vertebrae.
• Spinous processes project dorsally.
• Transverse processes project laterally.

Question 12

How to say vertebral arch in latin?

Answer 12

arcus vertebrae

Question 13

what is the body of the vertebrae called?

Answer 13

corpus vertebrae

Question 14

what does the vertebral body and arch form?

Answer 14

the vertebral foramen (foramen vertebrale)

Question 15

What is the thoracic skeleton (skeleton thoracis) made out of?

Answer 15

ribs (costae)
sternum

Question 16

What does “the body” consist of?

Answer 16

• cranial extremity (head)
• caudal extremity
• ventral crest

Question 17

What are the different “processes”?

Answer 17

• spinosous processes (processus spinosus)
• articular processes (caudal and cranial)
• transverse processes

Question 18

What are the two “notches”?

Answer 18

cranial and caudal notch

Question 19

What are the spaces called between two invertebrate bones?

Answer 19

foramen invertebrale- between vertebrae for passage of spinal nerve
spatium interarcuale- spaces separating adjacent arches dorsally.

Question 20

Explain the cervical vertebrae.

Answer 20

• well developed (for a range of motion)
• 7 vertebra
  1) atlas:
  no body, 2 arches (dorsal and ventral)
  no spinal processes, transfer processes=wing, 2 foramen (alar and transverse).
  differs between species (number of foramens).
  2) axis:
• broad but not high, centrally located dens ((displaced body of the atlas)
  3) 4) 5) cervical vertebrae:
  small spinosous processes, small transverse processes, large articulate processes.
  all contains foramen (but last one).
  6) sixth cervical vertebra
  7) seventh cervical vertebra

Question 21

Explain the “atlas” vertebra.

Answer 21

• first vertebra of the cervical vertebrae
• no body, 2 arches (dorsal and ventral)
  no spinal processes, transfer processes=wing, 2 foramen (alar and transverse).
• differs between species (number of foramens)
  ox- 2
  horse- 3
  pig- 3
  dog- 2

Question 22

Explain the “axis” vertebra.

Answer 22

• second vertebra of the cervical vertebrae
  axis:
• broad but not high, centrally located dens ((displaced body of the atlas)
• differs between species in shape:
  ox- cylindrical shape
  horse- spinal process splits in 2 branches, diagonal cylindrical shape
  pig- round shape, similar to ox (cylindrical)
  dog- processes split in 2 branches (similar to horse), round shape.

Question 23

explain the “cervical vertebrae” of the cervical vertebrae.

Answer 23

3) 4) 5) cervical vertebrae:
small spinosous processes, small transverse processes, large articulate processes.
all contains foramen (but last one).

horse- doesn’t have spinal spinosus
branches go crabially
ox- branch goes centrally and laterally (has spinal spinosus)
pig- has 2 foramen
dog- similar to horse (same branch direction), body of vertebra is curved.

Question 24

explain the “sixth cervical vertebrae” of the cervical vertebrae.

Answer 24

• similar to c3-c5,
• enlarged to form a plate like extension

ox: elongated lateral plate
dog: average size lateral plate
horse: very small lateral plate

Question 25

Explain the last cervical vertebrae.

Answer 25

• lacks transverse foreman
• no branches
• depressions from caudal extremities

horse: short spinal process
(longer than c3-c6)

ox: very long spinal process

pig: very long

dog: average