Stand up straight and look out for your spine, your biggest supporter. This bony column of disk-shaped vertebrae has two main functions, protecting the delicate spinal cord and supporting the skeleton. Most people are born with 33 vertebrae. By adulthood you have 24 since several vertebrae fuse together as you grow. Five vertebral sections make up the spine: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral and coccygeal.
