Human A&PBIO 304 · American River College ← Week 03 pre-work

BIO 304 · Week 03 · Interactive Workbook

Axial Skeleton

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Part 1 of 4 · Recall

Fill in the blanks

Type the term that completes each statement, using the word bank. Pull it from memory first.

Word bank

cranialfacialforamen magnumsuturescervicalthoraciclumbarsacrumcoccyxatlasaxisintervertebral discsvertebral foramenmanubriumxiphoid processtrue ribsfalse ribsfloating ribs

  1. The 8 bones enclose and protect the brain.
  2. The 14 bones form the face.
  3. The spinal cord passes through the at the base of the skull.
  4. Immovable joints between skull bones are called .
  5. The neck has 7 vertebrae.
  6. The chest has 12 vertebrae, each joined to a pair of ribs.
  7. The lower back has 5 large, weight-bearing vertebrae.
  8. Five fused vertebrae below the lumbar region form the ; the tailbone is the .
  9. C1, the , supports the skull and allows the “yes” nod.
  10. C2, the , has the odontoid process and allows the “no” rotation.
  11. Cushioning pads between vertebrae are the .
  12. The spinal cord runs through the stacked of the vertebrae.
  13. The top of the sternum is the ; the bottom tip is the .
  14. Ribs 1 to 7 are , ribs 8 to 10 are , and ribs 11 to 12 are .

Define it: high-yield vocabulary

Write a clear definition in your own words for each term.

  1. Body (centrum)
  2. Vertebral arch
  3. Spinous process
  4. Transverse process
  5. Vertebral foramen
  6. Intervertebral disc
  7. True ribs
  8. False ribs
  9. Floating ribs
  10. Primary curves
  11. Secondary curves

Part 2 of 4 · Anatomy lab

Draw and label

Box A. Vertebral column (lateral view)

Directions

  1. Draw the vertebral column from the side, showing its natural S-curve.
  2. Label the regions top to bottom: cervical (7), thoracic (12), lumbar (5), sacrum (5 fused), coccyx (3 to 4 fused), with counts.
  3. Mark the primary curves (thoracic, sacral) and secondary curves (cervical, lumbar).
  4. Below, label C1 (atlas) and C2 (axis with the odontoid process).
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Box B. Thoracic cage (anterior view)

Directions

  1. Draw the sternum down the middle with 12 pairs of ribs curving to the back.
  2. Label the sternum parts: manubrium, body, xiphoid process.
  3. Label the costal cartilages joining ribs to the sternum.
  4. Group the ribs: true (1 to 7), false (8 to 10), floating (11 to 12).
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Structures to label

Label each on your drawing.

  1. Cervical region
  2. Thoracic region
  3. Lumbar region
  4. Sacrum
  5. Coccyx
  6. Primary curve
  7. Secondary curve
  8. Atlas (C1)
  9. Axis (C2)
  10. Sternum
  11. Manubrium
  12. Xiphoid process
  13. Costal cartilage
  14. True ribs
  15. False ribs
  16. Floating ribs

Part 3 of 4 · Physiology lab

Reason it through

A. Structure and function

1. The foramen magnum at the base of the skull.
2. The vertebral foramen running through every vertebra.
3. The intervertebral discs between adjacent vertebrae.
4. The atlanto-occipital joint (atlas to occipital bone).
5. The flexibility of the costal cartilages.

B. Synthesis

1. A hyperextension (whiplash) injury snaps the head backward. Which axial structure is at highest risk, and what is the most dangerous neurological consequence if it is damaged?
2. A herniated lumbar disc presses on a spinal nerve root. Predict the symptoms, and explain why herniation is more common in the lumbar than the thoracic region.
3. Explain how the costal cartilages let the rib cage expand for breathing, and predict what would happen if they ossified.

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