3d Illustration Of Skeleton Spinal Bone Anatomy Stock Image

The vertebral column, also known as the backbone or spine, is part of the axial skeleton. The vertebral column is the defining characteristic of a vertebrate, in which the notochord a flexible rod of uniform composition found in all chordates has been replaced by a segmented series of bones—vertebrae separated by intervertebral discs.[1] The vertebral column houses the spinal canal, a cavity that encloses and protects the spinal cord.