There are 7 cervical vertebrae
The cervical vertebrae are the 7 bones at the top of the spine, numbered C1 to C7 from the top. The first, the atlas, is a ring with no body that carries the skull; the second, the axis, has an upward peg, the dens, around which the head turns. The seventh has a long spinous process, the bump you can feel most clearly at the base of the back of the neck.
Frequently asked questions
Does a giraffe also have 7 neck vertebrae?
Yes. Almost all mammals, the giraffe included, have 7 cervical vertebrae; a giraffe’s neck is long because each vertebra is very long.
Do the cervical vertebrae have a feature other vertebrae lack?
Yes. Each has an opening in its transverse process, the transverse foramen, and the vertebral artery climbs to the brain through these openings in the upper cervical vertebrae.
Which bone comes after C7?
The first thoracic vertebra, T1. From T1 downwards, a rib joins the vertebra on each side.
The bones counted
- Atlas (C1)
- Axis (C2)
- Third cervical vertebra (C3)
- Fourth cervical vertebra (C4)
- Fifth cervical vertebra (C5)
- Sixth cervical vertebra (C6)
- Seventh cervical vertebra (C7)
Related counts
Other bone counts
- Bones in the human body
- Axial and appendicular skeleton
- Bones of the skull
- Number of ribs
- Bones of the arm
- Bones of the hand
- Carpal bones
- Bones of the leg
- Bones of the foot
- Tarsal bones
- Phalanges of the fingers and toes
- Bones of the pelvis
Skeleton
Read more
Related reading
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- What getting up from a chair says about how your body is ageing
- Why ageing bone marrow turns to fat, and a PEMF study in mice
- PEMF and whole-body vibration: two rhythms that reach the body
- Myokines: the signals working muscle sends to the body
- Ageing parents: the changes families notice first
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