How many total vertebrae are in the typical human spine?

How many total vertebrae are in the typical human spine?

• A. 19
• B. 24
• C. 29
• D. 33

Answer: (D)

The spine is counted by adding the vertebrae in each region plus the bones that fuse to form the sacrum and coccyx. There are seven vertebrae in the cervical (neck) region, twelve in the thoracic (mid-back) region, and five in the lumbar (lower back) region. The sacrum is made of five vertebrae that fuse into one bone, and the coccyx is made of four vertebrae that fuse into one bone. When you count every vertebral segment that exists before fusion, you get thirty-three vertebrae in total. Some references note twenty-four movable vertebrae plus the fused sacrum and coccyx, totaling twenty-six bones in the spinal column, but the standard count used here is thirty-three vertebrae.

The spine is counted by adding the vertebrae in each region plus the bones that fuse to form the sacrum and coccyx. There are seven vertebrae in the cervical (neck) region, twelve in the thoracic (mid-back) region, and five in the lumbar (lower back) region. The sacrum is made of five vertebrae that fuse into one bone, and the coccyx is made of four vertebrae that fuse into one bone. When you count every vertebral segment that exists before fusion, you get thirty-three vertebrae in total. Some references note twenty-four movable vertebrae plus the fused sacrum and coccyx, totaling twenty-six bones in the spinal column, but the standard count used here is thirty-three vertebrae.