The cervical region contains how many vertebrae?

The cervical region contains how many vertebrae?

• A. 7
• B. 5
• C. 14
• D. 9

Answer: (A)

The neck is supported by seven cervical vertebrae, labeled C1 through C7. This seven-vertebra count is standard for the cervical region. The first two vertebrae are specialized: C1 (atlas) supports the skull, and C2 (axis) has the dens that acts as a pivot for head rotation. The seventh cervical vertebra, C7, is often felt as the vertebra prominens at the base of the neck. Other regions have different counts (for example, thoracic has twelve, lumbar has five), so those numbers don’t describe the cervical region. Seven is the correct count.

The neck is supported by seven cervical vertebrae, labeled C1 through C7. This seven-vertebra count is standard for the cervical region. The first two vertebrae are specialized: C1 (atlas) supports the skull, and C2 (axis) has the dens that acts as a pivot for head rotation. The seventh cervical vertebra, C7, is often felt as the vertebra prominens at the base of the neck. Other regions have different counts (for example, thoracic has twelve, lumbar has five), so those numbers don’t describe the cervical region. Seven is the correct count.