Laboratory 15: Thoracic Cage and Vertebral Column

Question 1

Which skeleton are the vertebral column and thoracic cage apart of?

Answer 1

Axial skeleton.

Question 2

How many bones in the vertebral column?

Answer 2

Consists of 26 bones.

Question 3

What does the vertebral column form?

Answer 3

Vertical axis of the human skeleton.

Question 4

What does the vertical column include?

Answer 4

7 cervical vertebrae, twelve thoracic vertebrae, five lumbar vertebrae one sacrum of 5 fused vertebrae, and one coccyx of four fused vertebrae.

Question 5

How many cervical vertebrae?

Answer 5

7

Question 6

How many thoracic vertebrae?

Answer 6

12

Question 7

How many lumbar vertebrae?

Answer 7

5

Question 8

How are vertebrae separated from one another?

Answer 8

By cartilaginous intervertebral discs and are held together by ligaments.

Question 9

What does the thoracic cage surround?

Answer 9

Thoracic cavity and upper abdominal cavity.

Question 10

What does the thoracic cage include?

Answer 10

The ribs, the sternum, the thoracic vertebrae and the costal cartilages.

Question 11

What does the thoracic cage provide?

Answer 11

Protection for the heart and lungs.

Question 12

What does the vertebral column extend from?

Answer 12

The vertebral column extends from the first cervical vertebra adjacent to the skull to the inferior tip of the coccyx.

Question 13

What is the first cervical vertebrae?

Answer 13

C1

Question 14

What is C1 also known as?

Answer 14

Atlas

Question 15

Describe C1 (Atlas)

Answer 15

Has a posterior thornlike tubercule (Small knoblike) instead of a more pronounced spinous process.

Question 16

What is the second cervical vertebrae?

Answer 16

C2

Question 17

What is the second cervical vertebra also known as?

Answer 17

Axis

Question 18

Describe axis (C2)

Answer 18

Has a superior projection, the dens (Odontoid) Process that serves as a pivot point for some rotational movements.

Question 19

What is C7 often referred to as?

Answer 19

Vertebra prominens.

Question 20

What do the 12 vertebrae (thoracic have)

Answer 20

Facets (Nearly flat) for the articulation sites of the 12 pairs of ribs.

Question 21

What do the seven cervical vertebrae have?

Answer 21

Have the distinct feature of transverse foramina for passageway of blood vessels serving the brain.

Question 22

What kind of spinous processes do thoracic vertebrae have?

Answer 22

Have spinous processes that are long and have an inferior angle.

Question 23

Which vertebrae are the biggest?

Answer 23

Lumbar

Question 24

Why are lumbar vertebrae larger then cervical/thoracic?

Answer 24

It allows for better support and resistance to twisting of the trunk and spinous processes that are rather short and blunt.

Question 25

When do the sacral bones fuse into one single bone?

Answer 25

By age 26.

Question 26

What does the medial sacral represent?

Answer 26

Fused spinous processes.

Question 27

When do the usual four coccyx vertebrae fuse into a single bone?

Answer 27

About age 30.

Question 28

When do the four curvatures of the vertebrae column develop?

Answer 28

Either before or after birth.

Question 29

What are the primary curvatures?

Answer 29

Thoracic and sacral curvatures.

Question 30

When do the primary curvatures form?

Answer 30

By the time of birth.

Question 31

When does the cervical curvature develop?

Answer 31

By the time a baby is able to hold its head erect and crawl.

Question 32

When does the lumbar curvature develop?

Answer 32

Forms by the time the child is able to walk.

Question 33

What are the secondary curvatures?

Answer 33

Cervical and lumbar curvatures.

Question 34

What do the four curvatures allow for?

Answer 34

Flexibility and resellience of the vertebral column and for it to function somewhat like a spring instead of a rod.

Question 35

How many pairs of ribs?

Answer 35

Twelve pairs.

Question 36

What are true ribs?

Answer 36

The superior seven pairs of ribs are connected directly to the sternum with coastal cartilage and are known as true ribs.

Question 37

How many pairs of true ribs?

Answer 37

Seven

Question 38

What are false ribs?

Answer 38

Five pairs of inferior ribs either connect indirectly to the sternum with coastal cartilage of do not connect to the sternum.

Question 39

What are floating ribs?

Answer 39

Pairs 11 and 12 are called the floating ribs because they only connect with the thoracic vertebrae and not with the sternum.

Question 40

What 3 regions eventually form the sternum?

Answer 40

Manibrum, body, xiphoid process eventually fuse into a single bone the sternum.

Question 41

Where is the heart mainly located?

Answer 41

Beneath the body portion of the sternum.

Question 42

Where should compressions during CPR be administered?

Answer 42

Should be over the body area of the sternum, not the xiphoid process region.

Question 43

What would happen if a person did chest compressions over the xiphoid process region?

Answer 43

They can force the xiphoid process into the liver of the inferior portion of the heart and cause a fatal hemorrhage to occur.