Final answer:
The term for the cylinder block-like, anterior portion of a typical vertebra is the vertebral body. It provides weight-bearing support and is attached to the vertebral arch, which surrounds the vertebral foramen. The vertebral arch consists of the pedicles, laminae, transverse processes, and spinous processes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Attached posteriorly to the body is a vertebral arch, which surrounds and defines the vertebral foramen for passage of the spinal cord. The vertebral arch consists of the pedicles, which attach to the vertebral body, and the laminae, which come together to form the roof of the arch. Arising from the vertebral arch are the laterally projecting transverse processes and the posteriorly oriented spinous process. The superior articular processes project upward, where they articulate with the downward projecting inferior articular processes of the next higher vertebrae.