01 / Location & anatomical relationships
From the base of the skull down to the pelvis.
02 / Structure & organization
The vertebral column includes cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral and coccygeal regions. Intervertebral discs and paired facet joints permit controlled motion between many adjacent vertebrae. Ligaments support alignment and limit excessive movement.
03 / Function
It supports your body, lets your back bend and protects your spinal cord.
04 / Mechanism
Individual vertebrae stack together, with discs between many of them. Joints and ligaments guide controlled bending and twisting. Openings through the vertebrae form a canal around the spinal cord.
Working together: skeletal system
Bones provide a framework. Muscles pull on them through tendons, and joints allow movement.
Meet this body system →FOR DEEPER STUDY
Connect structure with function
A disc has an outer annulus fibrosus and inner nucleus pulposus. The vertebral canal houses neural structures, but the spinal cord does not extend to the bottom of the column.
Check your understanding
Locate the spine in relation to its neighbors. Explain how the structural features described above support its function, then distinguish it from a nearby structure with a different role.
Keep learning
Continue with OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology for system-level study. This atlas is educational and has not undergone independent medical peer review.