In any body locale where strength of interconnection is a requirement, dense connective tissues are found. Forces transmitted across tissues determine how the protein fibers are placed within each tissue type. For example, tendons and ligaments are cords of the body that must resist linear forces along their lengths.
The cervical spine in your neck is made up of seven bones called vertebrae, which are separated by discs filled with a cushioning gel-like substance. Your cervical discs both stabilize your neck and allow it to turn smoothly from side to side and bend forward to back.
The cervical spine (the neck) has seven vertebral bodies, also called segments. The top two segments are unique: The first cervical segment (called the atlas) is a ring that does not have a vertebral body. This vertebra is named C1. The second vertebral body (called the axis), acts as a post that the first vertebral ring. Like the rest of the spine, the next five vertebral segments (named C3-C7) have three joints at each segment, including one disc in the front and paired facet joints in the back.