Bicarbonate is a base and critical to neutralizing the acid coming into the small intestine from the stomach. The mechanism underlying bicarbonate secretion is essentially the same as for acid secretion parietal cells and is dependent on the enzyme carbonic anhydrase.
The vertebral column (also known as the backbone or the spine), is a column of approximately 33 small bones, called vertebrae. The column runs from the cranium to the apex of the coccyx, on the posterior aspect of the body. It contains and protects the spinal cord.
Vertebra â One of the 33 bones of the spinal column. A cervical, thoracic, or lumbar vertebra has a cylindricallyâshaped body anteriorly and a neural arch posteriorly (composed primarily of the laminae and pedicles as well as the other structures in the posterior aspect of the vertebra) that protects the spinal cord.