The |cervical vertebrae| are the first (upper) seven in the |vertebral column|. The first cervical vertebra is the |atlas|, so called because it directly bears the weight of the |skull|. The second cervical vertebra is called the |axis|, because it admits the rotation of the |skull| by allowing the |atlas| to pivot upon it. The other five |cervical vertebrae| have no names, but are called by their number (i.e., third cervical vertebra). Each of the cervical vertebra features a body (anterior, or frontal, portion) and an arch (posterior, or rear, portion). The body of each vertebra in the column bears the weight of the |vertebrae| above it (and the |skull|), while the arch serves to create a canal-like area along the |spine| to house and protect the |spinal cord|. Every cervical vertebra has a ~foramen~ (opening) in each of its |transverse processes| (lateral protrusions). The arch of the vertebra features a small knob or prominence, called an ~anterior~ ~tubercle~. The ~anterior~ ~tubercles~ on the sixth cervical vertebra are particularly large and are known as the carotid ~tubercles~.
