The number of cervical vertebrae in the human vertebral column is

  • A. 5
  • B. 12
  • C. 4
  • D. 7

Explanation

There are seven cervical vertebrae, and the number is seven in almost all mammals, including the giraffe, whose neck is long because each vertebra is long. The full adult column has 33 vertebrae in total: 7 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 fused as the sacrum and 4 fused as the coccyx. Twelve is the thoracic count, which is the usual mix up.

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