vertebral column

Other forms: vertebral columns

Definitions of vertebral column

1. noun

   the series of vertebrae forming the axis of the skeleton and protecting the spinal cord
   synonyms: back, backbone, rachis, spinal column, spine

   types:

   notochord

   a flexible rodlike structure that forms the supporting axis of the body in the lowest chordates and lowest vertebrates and in embryos of higher vertebrates

   chine

   backbone of an animal

   urochord

   a notochord of a larval tunicate typically confined to the caudal region

   type of:

   skeletal structure

   any structure created by the skeleton of an organism