Painting of Cervical vertebrae:In vertebrates, cervical vertebrae (singular: vertebra) are those vertebrae immediately inferior to the skull..The movements of flexion and extension of the head take place predominantly at the joint between the first cervical vertebra and the occipital bone, the atlanto-occipital joint. However, the cervical spine is comparatively mobile, and some component of this movement is due to flexion and extension of the vertebral column itself. The movement of rotating the head to left and right happens almost entirely at the joint between the first and second cervical vertebrae, the atlanto-axial joint. A small amount of rotation of the vertebral column itself contributes to the movement.