Cervical
Encyclopedia
In anatomy, cervical is an adjective that has two meanings:
- of or pertaining to any neckNeckThe neck is the part of the body, on many terrestrial or secondarily aquatic vertebrates, that distinguishes the head from the torso or trunk. The adjective signifying "of the neck" is cervical .-Boner anatomy: The cervical spine:The cervical portion of the human spine comprises seven boney...
. - of or pertaining to the female cervixCervixThe cervix is the lower, narrow portion of the uterus where it joins with the top end of the vagina. It is cylindrical or conical in shape and protrudes through the upper anterior vaginal wall...
: i.e., the neck of the uterus.
- Commonly used medical phrases involving the neck are
- cervical collarCervical collarA cervical collar is an orthopedic medical device used to support a patient's neck and head. It is also used by emergency personnel for victims of traumatic head or neck injuries, and can be used to treat chronic medical conditions....
- cervical disc (intervertebral discIntervertebral discIntervertebral discs lie between adjacent vertebrae in the spine. Each disc forms a cartilaginous joint to allow slight movement of the vertebrae, and acts as a ligament to hold the vertebrae together.-Structure:...
) - cervical lymph nodesCervical lymph nodesCervical lymph nodes are lymph nodes found in the neck.-Classification:There are approximately 300 lymph nodes in the neck, and they can be classified in many different ways.Henri Rouvière produced an influential classification in 1938...
- cervical nervesCervical nervesThe cervical nerves are the spinal nerves from the cervical vertebrae.Although there are seven cervical vertebrae , there are eight cervical nerves . All nerves except C8 emerge above their corresponding vertebrae, while the C8 nerve emerges below the C7 vertebra...
- cervical vertebraeCervical vertebraeIn vertebrates, cervical vertebrae are those vertebrae immediately inferior to the skull.Thoracic vertebrae in all mammalian species are defined as those vertebrae that also carry a pair of ribs, and lie caudal to the cervical vertebrae. Further caudally follow the lumbar vertebrae, which also...
- cervical ribCervical ribA cervical rib is a supernumerary rib which arises from the seventh cervical vertebra. It is a congenital abnormality located above the normal first rib. A cervical rib is present in only about 1 in 500 of people; in even rarer cases, an individual may have two cervical ribs...
- cervical collar
- Phrases that involve the cervix include
- cervical cancerCervical cancerCervical cancer is malignant neoplasm of the cervix uteri or cervical area. One of the most common symptoms is abnormal vaginal bleeding, but in some cases there may be no obvious symptoms until the cancer is in its advanced stages...
- cervical smear or Pap smearPap smearThe Papanicolaou test is a screening test used in to detect pre-cancerous and cancerous processes in the endocervical canal of the female reproductive system. Changes can be treated, thus preventing cervical cancer...
- cervical cancer