The vertebral column, also known as the spine, consists of 33 vertebrae in total, including the 7 cervical vertebrae in the neck, 12 thoracic vertebrae in the chest region, 5 lumbar vertebrae in the lower back, 5 sacral vertebrae fused together to form the sacrum, and 4 coccygeal vertebrae fused together to form the coccyx or tailbone. However, the number of vertebrae can vary slightly between individuals.