VERTEBRA

(Lat. ver to, / turn.) The term, restricted, in Anthropotomy, to certain moveable portions of the segments of the skeleton of the trunk, is now applied, in Anatomy, to the entire segment; which consists, in its typical state, of a " centrum," " two neurapophyses" and a "neural spine," two "heemapophyses " and a " haemal spine," and two " pleurapophyses." The principal proce es of a vertebra, which are usually exogenous, are, the "parapophyses," the " met apophyses," the " hyp apophyses," the " diapophyses," the " an apophyses," and the " zygapophyses." The endoskeleton of the vertebrate animals consists of a series of such segments or vertebrae, some of which may support a pair of" diverging appendages," and two pairs of such are usually developed into limbs. VK SIC A' [s. 1438]