Question: how does a backbone help in thinking

Esther Muthumbi answered on 11 Jul 2017:

Just to be clear…..I will answer assuming the ‘backbone’ you are referring to is the spinal column, and not the other more English definition of a pillar.

I do not think the spinal column has a direct role in thinking. The spinal column (the vertebral bones) are important in protecting the spinal cord, which is a part of the central nervous system. The spinal cord is involved in transmission of motor signals from the brain to the tissues, transmission of sensory signals upwards to the brain and in reflexes. The cerebrum is what controls thinking and learning.