Cervical vertebrae (C1 to C7)The seven vertebrae of the neck. Almost all mammals have seven.
Thoracic vertebrae (T1 to T12)The twelve vertebrae of the chest region, below the cervical ones.
Lumbar vertebrae (L1 to L5)The five vertebrae of the lower back. Vertebral bodies grow larger going down, so these are the largest of the 24 separate vertebrae.
SacrumA single bone formed by five fused sacral vertebrae. It is also part of the pelvis.
BodyThe front of the vertebra. It carries the body's weight.
Vertebral foramenThe large opening between the body and the vertebral arch. It holds the spinal cord.
Transverse processA paired process projecting sideways from where the pedicle meets the lamina. Muscles attach here.
Spinous processThe single process projecting backward at the midline. You can feel these as bumps down the middle of the back.
The column: 6 2
Coccyx (tailbone)The tailbone, formed by four small fused coccygeal vertebrae.
Intervertebral discSeparates and strongly unites the bodies of neighbouring vertebrae.
A single vertebra: 7 3
PedicleOne of the two sides of the vertebral arch. It is anchored to the back of the body.
LaminaOne of two plates forming the back roof of the vertebral arch.
Superior articular processFaces upward and joins the inferior articular process of the vertebra above. Together they form a slightly movable joint.
How this list was compiled: Read 2026-09-26. OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology 2e, section 7.3 The Vertebral Column, https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e/pages/7-3-the-vertebral-column : the adult column of 24 vertebrae plus the sacrum and coccyx; seven cervical (almost all mammals have seven), 12 thoracic and five lumbar vertebrae; the sacrum of five fused sacral vertebrae, also part of the pelvis; the coccyx of four fused coccygeal vertebrae; intervertebral discs separating and uniting the bodies, thickest in the lumbar region; vertebral bodies progressively increasing in size and thickness going down; the two primary (thoracic and sacrococcygeal) and two secondary (cervical and lumbar) curves; a typical vertebra of a body, a vertebral arch of paired pedicles and laminae, and seven processes; the body as the weight-bearing anterior part; the vertebral foramen holding the spinal cord; the transverse processes from the pedicle-lamina junction; the spinous process at the midline, felt as bumps down the back; superior and inferior articular processes forming slightly movable joints. Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-10-05 by script. The vertebra from above follows figure 82, A typical thoracic vertebra, viewed from above (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gray82.png), made symmetrical and turned so the body is at the bottom, and the column from the side follows figure 111, Lateral view of the vertebral column (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gray_111_-_Vertebral_column.png), of Henry Gray, Anatomy of the Human Body, 20th US edition, 1918 (public domain; Wikimedia Commons credits both plates to Henry Vandyke Carter): the outline of the vertebra, and in the column the line of the bodies, their sizes, the reach of the spines and the outline of the sacrum and coccyx, were read off the plates; the single vertebrae of the column are our own outlines. Where the picture departs from the bones: the front face of the sacrum is drawn nearly straight where the bone is hollow, the curve of the neck is weaker than in life, the spinous process of the vertebra from above looks short because it slopes down away from the viewer, as in the plate, and no line sets the pedicle apart from the lamina. Licence: own drawing; outlines after public domain plates
How it works
Vertebrae unlabeled for printing, and labeled for study: the vertebral column from the side, then a single vertebra from above. Start with the 8 main parts, then label the structures of the vertebra.
Read the full guide
The column by region
From the top: 7 cervical, 12 thoracic and 5 lumbar vertebrae, with an intervertebral disc between each pair. Below them, the sacrum is five fused vertebrae and the coccyx four.
A typical vertebra
The body carries the weight. Behind it, the pedicles and laminae form the vertebral arch around the vertebral foramen, where the spinal cord runs. Transverse processes stick out to the sides and the spinous process points back.
Remember 7, 12, 5: breakfast at 7, lunch at 12, dinner at 5, for cervical, thoracic and lumbar.
Questions and answers
How many vertebrae are in the spine?
An adult has 24 separate vertebrae (7 cervical, 12 thoracic and 5 lumbar) plus the sacrum and coccyx, which are fused from several vertebrae each.
What are the parts of a vertebra?
The body at the front, and the vertebral arch behind it, made of two pedicles and two laminae around the vertebral foramen. Seven processes arise from the arch: one spinous, two transverse and four articular.
What does the unlabeled vertebrae diagram show?
The same column and vertebra with 13 numbered rings and no names, ready to label by hand.