Spine

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/spine

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Columna vertebralis
2. What is the related medical fields?Orthopedics, neurology, neurosurgery, physical therapy, chiropractic medicine
3. What is the spine and why is it important?The spine is a column of bones that keeps us upright and protects the spinal cord, letting us move like a superhero.
4. How many bones make up the adult spine?Adults have 24 vertebrae plus the fused sacrum and coccyx, making a total of 26 bones that form the spine.

Vertebrae: The individual bony segments that form the vertebral column, providing structure and protection.
Intervertebral Discs: Fibrocartilaginous cushions between vertebrae that absorb shock and permit movement.
Spinal Cord: The bundle of nervous tissue extending from the brainstem down the vertebral canal, crucial for transmitting signals.
Lordosis: An inward curvature of the spine, observed in the cervical and lumbar regions.