What is the total number of bones in the adult vertebral column?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking for the total number of bones in the adult vertebral column, which requires knowledge of human anatomy.
Answer
The adult vertebral column has 26 bones.
The total number of vertebrae in the adult vertebral column is 26, due to the fusion of the sacral and coccygeal vertebrae.
Answer for screen readers
The total number of vertebrae in the adult vertebral column is 26, due to the fusion of the sacral and coccygeal vertebrae.
More Information
The vertebral column starts with 33 bones in infants but reduces to 26 in adults after the fusion of the 5 sacral and 4 coccygeal vertebrae into the sacrum and coccyx, respectively.
Tips
A common mistake is to count the vertebrae without considering the fusion that occurs in adulthood, leading many to incorrectly state the number as 33.
Sources
- Anatomy of the Spine | Cedars-Sinai - cedars-sinai.org
- In human adults, vertebral column contains 33 bones. How much ... - toppr.com
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