Everything about Ribs totally explained
» This article is about the bones called ribs. For other meanings, see rib (disambiguation).
In
vertebrate anatomy,
ribs (
Latin costae) are the long curved
bones which form the
ribcage. In most animals, ribs surround the
chest (Latin
thorax) and protect the
lungs,
heart, and other internal
organs of the thorax. In some animals, especially
snakes, ribs may provide support and protection for the entire body.
Human anatomy
Human beings have 24 ribs (12 pairs). The first seven sets of ribs have their own individual
cartilage connections with the
sternum. The following three sets are known as "
false ribs", these share a common cartilaginous connection to the sternum, while the last two (eleventh and twelfth ribs) are termed
floating ribs (
costae fluitantes) or vertebral ribs. They are attached to the vertebrae only, and not to the sternum or cartilage coming off of the sternum. Some people are missing one of the two pairs of floating ribs, while others have a third pair.
Rib removal is the surgical excision of ribs for therapeutic or cosmetic reasons.
The ribcage is separated from the lower abdomen by the
thoracic diaphragm which controls breathing. When the diaphragm contracts, the ribcage and thoracic cavity are expanded, reducing intra-thoracic pressure and drawing air into the lungs.
In other animals
In
mammals, one generally thinks of ribs occurring only in the
chest. However, during the development of mammalian embryos, fused-on remnants of ribs can be traced in
neck vertebrae (
cervical ribs) and
sacral vertebrae.
In
reptiles, ribs sometimes occur in all vertebrae from the neck to the sacrum.
The ribs of
turtles are developed into a bony or cartilagenous
carapace and
plastron.
Fish can have up to four ribs on each vertebra and this can easily be seen in the
herring, although not all fish have this many.
Additional images
Human ribs
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Further Information
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