What is it? Sits atop the vertebral column, divided into:

• Cranium: Protects the brain 🧠
• Face: Guards eyes, ears, and contains teeth 😁

Fun Fact: Ever wondered why helmets look like they do? They're designed to mimic the protective shape and functions of the skull! Think about that next time you're riding your bike 🚴‍♀️.

• Overview: 33 vertebrae all stacked up, forming a column.

  • Movement? Oh boy! Bends forwards, backwards, sideways, and can even rotate 🔄.
  • Height Hack: This column makes up ~40% of our body height!

• Vertebrae Types (Your body's very own Lego set! 🧱)

  • Cervical (Neck): 7 pieces, smallest, most mobile. Think of nodding your head to your favorite song 🎶!
  • Thoracic (Mid-back): 12 pieces, attached to ribs, less twisty dance moves allowed.
  • Lumbar (Lower back): 5 big strong ones! They're the heroes taking most of our body weight like a weightlifting champion 🏆.
  • Sacral (Base): 5 fused together = 1 strong vertebra. They're like the relay racers passing body weight to the pelvis and legs 🏃‍♀️.
  • Coccygeal (Tailbone): 4 fused together. Think of it as our little built-in tail!

• Inner Secrets of Vertebrae 🤫

  • Vertebral Foramen: Holes in each vertebra where the spinal cord threads through, like stringing beads on a necklace.
  • Spinal Nerves: Branches out from the spinal cord, each lighting up a different area of the body like Christmas tree lights 🎄.
  • Intervertebral Discs: Cushion-y shock absorbers between each vertebra. They're like your body's jelly donuts! 🍩

• Vertebral Curves 🌊

  • Ever noticed the slight 'S' shape when looking at someone's side profile?
    • Thoracic and Sacral/Coccygeal: Curved inward. Original curves from when we were tiny baby burritos 🌯.
    • Cervical and Lumbar: Curved outward. Added later when we decided holding our head up and standing was cool 😎.

  Did you know? These curves help us stay upright, absorb shocks, and make us flexible dancers!