Which statement correctly describes the vertebral column?

• A. The vertebral column consists of 7 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 sacral bones and 4 coccygeal bones
• B. The vertebral column consists of 6 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 4 sacral bones and 3 coccygeal bones
• C. The vertebral column consists of 8 cervical, 11 thoracic, 4 lumbar, 4 sacral bones and 3 coccygeal bones
• D. The vertebral column consists of 7 cervical, 11 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 sacral bones and 4 coccygeal bones

Answer: (A)

Counting vertebrae by region is what this asks you to do. In an adult, the vertebral column is described as 7 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar vertebrae, plus 5 sacral and 4 coccygeal bones that are fused into the sacrum and coccyx. This fusion doesn’t remove them from the count, but explains why those regions are written as five and four. The statement listing 7, 12, 5, 5, and 4 matches these standard counts, so it’s the correct description. The other options mix up the numbers—for example, suggesting 6 or 8 in the cervical region or 11 in the thoracic region—so they don’t reflect the typical arrangement.