How many total bones are in the human vertebral column?

The human vertebral column, or spine, is composed of a total of 33 bones in early development. This includes 7 cervical vertebrae in the neck, 12 thoracic vertebrae in the upper back, 5 lumbar vertebrae in the lower back, 5 fused sacral vertebrae forming the sacrum, and 4 fused coccygeal vertebrae forming the coccyx.

As individuals age, the vertebrae in the sacrum and coccyx fuse, but the total count of individual vertebrae at the time of development remains 33. Therefore, the correct answer reflects the total number of vertebrae present before any fusion occurs, aligning with the established anatomical knowledge of the vertebral column structure.