Unlike all other thoracic vertebrae, 11th and 12th thoracic vertebrae lack articulation surfaces (for tubercle of ribs) on their transverse processes. The articulation facets (for head of rib) on the body of 11th and 12th thoracic vertebrae are large.
Thoracic vertebrae 11 and 12 are unique because they only have one costal facet on each side for articulating with ribs (compared to two on each side in other thoracic vertebrae). They also lack a transverse costal facet on their transverse process.
The thoracic vertebra
Typically there are 7 vertebrae in the neck called cervical vertebrae. They are commonly called C1-C7. The first cervical vertebra is also called the atlas, and the second, the axis. Typically there are twelve thoracic vertebrae to which the ribs attach. Typically there are five lumbar vertebrae in the lower back. Caudal ('toward the tail' or below in the standing position) to the lumbar vertebrae is the sacrum. Caudal the the sacrum is the coccyx. It is often called the tailbone. Commonly, the coccyx is formed by two or three segments. Many people have a sixth lumbar vertebra which is usually a part of the sacrum which did not fuse to the other segments of the sacrum during development. Sometimes a vertebra, usually a thoracic vertebra, fully develops on only one side, so one might say there are 12 vertebrae on one side, and 11 on the other. That is called a hemivertebra. Sometimes 2 vertebrae are fused together, making one bone instead of two.
Floating ribs (ribs 11 and 12) do not articulate with the sternum directly but are attached only to the thoracic vertebrae in the back. They are considered "floating" because they lack an attachment to the sternum or cartilage.
There are 12 pairs of ribs that articulate with the thoracic vertebrae, one per vertebra. The upper 7 pairs of ribs articulate directly with the sternum, either via their own costal cartilage or the cartilage of the rib above. Ribs 8-10 articulate indirectly with the sternum through a shared cartilage, while ribs 11 and 12 are floating ribs that do not connect to the sternum.
The T-12 vertebra is located in the lower part of the thoracic spine, just above the lumbar region. It is the last of the twelve thoracic vertebrae and is situated between the T-11 vertebra above and the L-1 vertebra below. The T-12 vertebra plays a crucial role in supporting the rib cage and facilitating movement in the back.
preferabley a whale has 51 vertabrea in its spine
Birds have one backbone that consists of various numbers of vertebrae. There are 11 to 25 cervical vertebrae (neck), the synsacrum (fused vertebrae of the back connected to the pelvis), and the pygostyle (tail bone).
A giraffe's cervical spine, like most mammals, has 7 vertebrae. They are, however, about 11 inches long.
Lower most two pairs of ribs (11th and 12th) are known as floating ribs because they are only attached to vertebrae but not to the sternum.
In Australia its the 15/11/11, i dont know about any other countries.
A chylothorax is a condition that results from lymphatic fluid accumulating in the pleural cavity. Its cause is usually leakage from the thoracic duct or one of the main lymphatic vessels that drain to it. The most common causes are lymphoma and trauma caused by thoracic surgery.11. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chylothorax