Holding these bones together is a kind of very tough, springy tissues, called cartilage. Cartilage also joins together the bones of the spinal column. The springy nature of cartilage makes it a good shock absorber. If the lower parts of the spine receive a blow, the cartilage rings that joins each vertebra to the one above it, absorb the shock, so that the brain does not feel the blow. If this were not so, every time you took a step, your brain would receive a jolt.
