Most |vertebrae| exhibit pronounced lateral protrusions (or ~processes~), one on each side of the vertebra. These |transverse processes| serve as the attachment sites for ~ligaments~ (intertransverse ~ligaments~) and muscles, which control the bending and twisting of the |vertebral column|. The base of each |transverse process| in most |vertebrae| is just off of the main body of the vertebra, located instead at the pedicle. The pedicle is part of the ring-like structure of a vertebra, which also includes the body and lamina of a vertebra, forming the vertebral ~foramen~ which protects the |spinal cord|.
