The Ribs
Ribs are flat, curved bones that surround the chest, making a cage to protect the heart, lungs and other organs. There are 12 pairs of ribs, each joined at the back to a vertebra in the spine. Attached between the ribs are sheets of muscle that help to expand and relax the chest during breathing. Seven pairs of ribs attach in front directly to the sternum by cartilage. The remaining five pairs are called 'false ribs'; three pairs are joined by cartilage to the ribs above, while the last two pairs don't attach in front at all. (They are sometimes called 'floating ribs'). Men and women have the same number of ribs. |