Glossary items beginning with V (2).
Vertebra - One of the 33 bones of the spinal column. A cervical, thoracic, or lumbar vertebra has a cylindrically shaped body anteriorly and a neural arch posteriorly (composed primarily of the laminae and pedicles as well as the other structures in the posterior aspect of the vertebra) that protect the spinal cord. The plural of vertebra is vertebrae.
Vertebral Column - The flexible supporting column of vertebrae separated by discs and bound together by ligaments.