NEETZoologyLocomotion and Movement
Given below are two statements: one is labelled as Assertion (A) and the other is labelled as Reason (R). Assertion (A): The adult human vertebral column consists of 26 serially arranged units. Reason (R): The sacral and coccygeal regions consist of 1 fused bone each. In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:
Options
- ABoth Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
- BBoth Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
- CAssertion (A) is true but Reason (R) is false.
- DAssertion (A) is false but Reason (R) is true.
Correct answer
B. Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
Step-by-step solution
The vertebral column of an adult human is formed by 26 serially arranged units called vertebrae. During embryonic development, there are 33 vertebrae. However, in adults, the 5 sacral vertebrae fuse to form 1 sacrum, and the 4 coccygeal vertebrae fuse to form 1 coccyx. Along with 7 cervical, 12 thoracic, and 5 lumbar vertebrae, this fusion results in a total of 26 bones. Thus, both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, and Reason (R) correctly explains why the adult vertebral column has 26 bones instead of 33. Ans