The skeleton maintains the shape of the body, protects internal organs and makes locomotion possible. The vertebrae support the body and protect the spinal cord. They consist of: cervical vertebrae in...The skeleton maintains the shape of the body, protects internal organs and makes locomotion possible. The vertebrae support the body and protect the spinal cord. They consist of: cervical vertebrae in the neck, thoracic vertebrae in the chest region which articulate with the ribs, lumbar vertebrae in the loin region, sacral vertebrae fused to the pelvis to form the sacrum and tail or coccygeal vertebrae. It moves against or articulates with the pelvis at the hip joint.
