Axis (anatomy)

In anatomy, the second cervical vertebra (C2) of the spine is named the axis or epistropheus. It forms the pivot upon which the first cervical vertebra (the atlas), which carries the head, rotates. The most distinctive characteristic of this bone is the strong odontoid process which rises perpendicularly from the upper surface of the body. The body is deeper in front than behind, and prolonged downward anteriorly so as to overlap the upper and front part of the third vertebra.

Related Topics:
Anatomy - Cervical vertebra - Spine - Vertebra - Atlas - Head - Bone

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