Wiktionary
n. (cervical vertebra English)
Wikipedia
In vertebrates, cervical vertebrae (singular: vertebra) are the vertebrae of the neck, immediately below the skull.
Thoracic vertebrae in all mammalian species are those vertebrae that also carry a pair of ribs, and lie caudal to the cervical vertebrae. Further caudally follow the lumbar vertebrae, which also belong to the trunk, but do not carry ribs. In reptiles, all trunk vertebrae carry ribs and are called dorsal vertebrae.
In many species, though not in mammals, the cervical vertebrae bear ribs. In many other groups, such as lizards and saurischian dinosaurs, the cervical ribs are large; in birds, they are small and completely fused to the vertebrae. The vertebral transverse processes of mammals are homologous to the cervical ribs of other amniotes.
In humans, cervical vertebrae are the smallest of the true vertebrae, and can be readily distinguished from those of the thoracic or lumbar regions by the presence of a foramen (hole) in each transverse process, through which the vertebral artery passes.
The remainder of this article focuses upon human anatomy.
Usage examples of "cervical vertebrae".
The spindles were fixed between the seat and the wide slab of radius-cut pine that served as the headrail, and the headrail was so solid that it would do major damage if it cracked into her cervical vertebrae with sufficient force.
The first seven vertebrae are the cervical vertebrae of the neck region.
Beneath the cervical vertebrae are twelve thoracic vertebrae of the chest region, and under each of these passes a pair of spinal nerves, so that there are twelve pairs of thoracic nerves.
Numerous marks can be seen, some from teeth and some apparently from a crude weapon--again especially noticeable around the remaining cervical vertebrae.
To be precise, a skull and mandible, three cervical vertebrae, and bones comprising the better part of a right and left hand.
A round in there at this distance would plunge through skin and tissue, shatter the cervical vertebrae, punch out the thyroid cartilage, send the whole head spinning off sideways.
He touches the outline of the nanoprocessor that links into my cervical vertebrae, reminding himself of where plastic ends and Jenny begins.
It crashed against the side of Thoth's jaw, and the big man rolled lifeless to the floor, face shattered, cervical vertebrae fractured.
I examined him, and came to the conclusion that death had been caused by a blow on the back of the neck, dislocating the fourth and fifth cervical vertebrae, bruising the spinal cord and producing internal haemorrhage and partial paralysis of the brain.
These bones are chiefly skulls and are usually accompanied by the two first cervical vertebrae.
She worked her fingers down the back of his neck feeling for displaced or deformed cervical vertebrae, checked his ears for fluid and behind them for the bruised look of battle signs that sometimes accompanied severe head trauma.
If the hunter does not land on top of its prey, kicking the creature senseless with the feet before disabling it with a deep bite through the cervical vertebrae and underlying nerve trunks, it pivots rapidly on one leg so that the flattened edge of the tail strikes its victim like a blunt, organic axe.
I get my hands on his head, a sharp twist: his cervical vertebrae separate with a wet driftwood squelch and slice into his spinal cord.
I opened my eyes then lifted and rotated my head, gingerly working the kink from my cervical vertebrae.
The organism knew what was happening, that death was imminent, and the trigger was pulled for the last great burst of adrenaline, but it was no good, Kamiwara's grip was like steel, the entire upper half of his body brought to bear against Wolf, his massive shoulders and chest bracing his arms as they began to crack apart Wolf's cervical vertebrae.