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Nervous
System
Your nervous
system is the center of your thoughts, memory, learning and
consciousness. Nerves control muscle tension, blood vessel openings,
glandular function, spatial orientation, (proprioception), pain,
touch, vibration, vision, hearing, taste, temperature and other
senses - nerves connect your inner and outer worlds.
Spinal Column
The
first of your seven cervical (neck) vertebrae (C1), called the
"atlas," holds the globe of the skull, as the god Atlas
held up the earth. Your second (C2), the "axis," permits
head turning and tilting. Your 12 thoracic (mid-back) vertebrae (T1 -
T12) all connect to the ribs in the back and all but two (T11 &
T12, which "float") join the sternum (breastbone) In front.
Your five lumbar (lower back) vertebrae are the biggest, thickest and
most massive vertebrae. They support the weight of your entire spine,
which is why so many spinal problems are in the lower back. Your
sacrum is made up of five fused vertebrae. The sacrum and the hips on
either side make up your pelvis. Your coccyx, four fused vertebrae,
is what's left of your tailbone. |
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