Final answer:
The vertebral column in an adult consists of 33 bones (option 2) initially but becomes 24 individual vertebrae plus the sacrum and coccyx through fusion. It is divided into five regions: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, and coccygeal.
Step-by-step explanation:
The vertebral column, more commonly known as the spine, consists of 33 bones when counting the individual vertebrae present at birth. However, in an adult, this number is reduced to 24 vertebrae due to the fusion of the sacrum and coccyx bones. The spine is divided into five regions: the cervical region with seven vertebrae (C1-C7), the thoracic region with 12 vertebrae (T1-T12), and the lumbar region with five vertebrae (L1-L5). The sacrum and coccyx are fused bones derived from the original individual vertebrae, with the sacrum consisting of five fused vertebrae, and the coccyx consisting typically of three to four vertebrae that also fuse into one.
In summary, the vertebrae in the spine are categorized into three primary regions with individual bones, and two additional regions represented by the fused bones of the sacrum and coccyx. With this in consideration, the correct answer to the question is 33 bones initially, which are divided into five regions in the vertebral column.