Page 75 - ASOP ROT Study Guide

C. THE SPINE

The previous sections of this unit describe the parts of the skeletal system which make up the
appendicular skeleton - the limb girdles and the limbs. In the rest of this unit you will study the
axial skeleton - the vertebral column, the skull, the sternum and the ribs. The terminology used
must be made clear at the beginning to avoid confusion between the terms "vertebral column",
"spine" and "spinal cord". The vertebral column refers to the stack of bones'- the vertebrae.
The spinal cord refers to the bundle of nerves which passes through the center of the vertebral
column. The spine is used as a general term to describe the vertebral column, spinal cord and
associated structures.

13. STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF THE SPINE

13 . 1 General Structure and Function
The spine is made up of a column of segments which has the following functions:
♦ it supports the weight of the head and trunk
♦ it acts as a shock absorber to smooth out the jarring caused by daily activity such as

walking, running and jumping
♦ it acts as an anchor for the limb girdles and ribs
♦ it provides a conduit for the spinal cord and the nerves which branch from it

www.pinstopin.com

Each segment is called a vertebra. Most vertebrae can move relative to the ones next to them
and some can move more than others. By moving our body we can readily appreciate that the
vertebrae in the neck region have the greatest freedom of movement. Muscles attached to the
vertebrae cause this movement to take place.
The spinal cord runs down the inside of the vertebral column, through a hole in each vertebra,
and the peripheral nerves branch from the cord through holes between the vertebrae to the
different regions of the body.