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VERTERAE 2
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b) thoracic vertebrae (12) --have facets for heads & tubercles of ribs
on the transverse process and body of vertebrae --spinous processes are long |
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c) lumbar vertebrae (5) --very thick;
bearing much more of the body's weight than the cervical vertebrae did --because
spinal nerves leave the vertebral column at every body segment, the diameter
of the vertebral foramina (and the spinal cord within) decreases from
the cervical to lumbar segments |
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d) sacrum: 5 fused
vertebrae (the distinctions are still visible in the positions of the
sacral foramina); these vertebrae fuse
before birth --protects delicate
organs, room for muscle attachment e) coccyx: 3-5 fused vertebrae; our tailbone |
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