A vertebra is one of 33 bony segments that form the spinal column of humans. Vertebrate Biology. Definition. Definition of vertebrate in the Definitions.net dictionary. These bones are below the cervical and thoracic vertebrae but above the sacrum or pelvis. Each vertebra has three main functional components: the vertebral body for load-bearing, the vertebral arch to protect the spinal cord, and transverse processes for ligament attachment.The spinal column consists of seven cervical, twelve thoracic, and five lumbar vertebrae in addition to five fused vertebrae … Vertebrates Meaning “Vertebrates are animals that possess a vertebral column and/or notochord at any point in their lives.” One of the ways life is classified is through the presence or absence of the vertebrate. The vertebral column, also called the spine, is a series of bones known as vertebrae that are separated by intervertebral discs.The vertebral column is only found in vertebrates, or members of the subphylum Vertebrata, which is part of the phylum Chordata.. Vertebral Column Overview ... in terms of diversity in the number of species: Definition. Birds: Term. The vertebrae support the body and provide the protective bony corridor (the spinal or vertebral canal) through which the spinal cord passes. Information and translations of vertebrate in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. Mammals first appeared in the fossil record during_____ period. Vertebra are divided into cervical, thoracic, and lumbar sections, and the sacrum and coccyx are both made up of a series of fused vertebrae. Triassic: Term. See more. What does vertebrate mean? Vertebral Column Definition. n/a. The vertebrae are separated by cartilaginous intervertebral disks. Vertebrae are the 33 individual, interlocking bones that form the spinal column. Total Cards. 12/08/2008. Meaning of vertebrate. Definition. Its members include fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Vertebrates and invertebrates evolved from a common ancestor that was speculated to have lived around 600 million years ago. 79. Vertebrate, any animal of the subphylum Vertebrata. Medical Author: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR; Vertebra: A vertebra is one of 33 bony segments that form the spinal column of humans. A vertebrate is an animal with a backbone. Lumbar Vertebrae Definition. Vertebra. The basic configuration of a vertebra varies; the large part is the body, and the central part is the centrum. vertebra [ver´tĕ-brah] (L.) any of the separate segments comprising the spine (vertebral column). Undergraduate 1. Fishes , amphibians , reptiles , birds , and mammals , including humans, are all vertebrates. They are the largest of the unfused vertebrae, and are larger than the bones located above. Biology. There are 7 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 sacral (fused into one sacrum bone) and 4 coccygeal (fused into one coccyx bone). Vertebra definition is - one of the bony or cartilaginous segments composing the spinal column, consisting in some lower vertebrates of several distinct elements which never become united, and in higher vertebrates having a short more or less cylindrical body whose ends articulate by pads of elastic or cartilaginous tissue with those of adjacent vertebrae and a bony arch that … Vertebra definition, any of the bones or segments composing the spinal column, consisting typically of a cylindrical body and an arch with various processes, and forming a foramen, or opening, through which the spinal cord passes. Created. In the vertebrate spinal column, each vertebra is an irregular bone with a complex structure composed of bone and some hyaline cartilage, the proportions of which vary according to the segment of the backbone and the species of vertebrate.. Subject. The lumbar vertebrae are bones that make up the spinal column or backbone, specifically within the lower back. Description. Medical Definition of Vertebra. Level. The 33 bones that make up the spine differ considerably in size and structure according to location. (An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone.) They have backbones and are also characterized by a muscular system consisting primarily of bilaterally paired masses and a central nervous system partly enclosed within the backbone.