4.2 Learning the Key terms

invertebral disks

_____________________________ are fibrocartilaginous cushions between vertebral bodies that allow bending of the spine and help to create the normal spinal curves.

vertebra

A(n) _____________________________ is one of the bones making up the spinal column.

axial skeleton

The _____________________________ is the central, stable portion of the skeletal system, consisting of the skull, spinal column, and thoracic cage.

lumbar region

The lower back region of the spine composed of fi ve vertebrae is the _________________________

sutures

_____________________________ are joints in which irregularly grooved, articulating bone sheets join closely and are tightly connected by fibrous tissues.

skull

The part of the skeleton composed of all of the bones of the head is known as the _________________________

thoracic region

The _____________________________ consists of the 12 vertebrae in the middle of the back.

cervical region

The first seven vertebrae, the _____________________________ comprise the neck.

cranium

Fused, flat bones surrounding the back of the head make up the _____________________________.

maxillary bones

_____________________________ are two fused bones that form the upper jaw, house the upper teeth, and connect to all other bones of the face, with the exception of the mandible.

axis

Specialized with an upward projection called the odontoid process, on which the atlas rotates, the _____________________________ is the second cervical vertebra.

thoracic cage

Composed of the ribs, sternum, and thoracic vertebrae, the _____________________________ is a bony structure surrounding the heart and lungs in the thoracic cavity.

fontanel

Openings in the infant skull through which the baby's pulse can be felt, _____________________________ enable compression of the skull during birth and brain growth during late pregnancy and early infancy.

atlas

The first cervical vertebra, the _____________________________ is specialized to provide the connection between the occipital bone of the skull and the spinal column.

mandible

The jaw bone is called the _________________________

sternum

Another name for the breastbone is the _____________________________.

coccyx

The four fused vertebrae at the base of the spine forming the tailbone are the _________________________

sacrum

Consisting of five fused vertebrae, the _____________________________ forms the posterior of the pelvic girdle.

facial bones

_____________________________ are the bones of the face.