Veterinary Gross Anatomy

CERVICAL VERTEBRAE

• The cervical vertebrae form the skeleton of the neck. In the ox, horse and dog there are 7 cervical vertebrae.
• In all the animals including the fowl, the first and second cervical vertebrae named atlas and axis respectively and are atypical vertebrae .
• In the ox, horse and dog, the third, fourth and fifth cervical vertebrae are similar while the sixth and seventh, present some special features. The transverse process consists of two parts in the 3rd to the 6th vertebra, which in the 7th is undivided.
• In the fowl there are 14 cervical vertebrae. The third to 14th shows some special features when compared with the cervical vertebrae of mammals.
• The details of the following cervical vertebrae are given below:
  • Atlas
  • Axis 
  • Third to seventh vertebrae