The ribs
Ribs · costae
Twenty-four curved bones that form a flexible cage around your heart and lungs.
What it does
Most people have twelve pairs of ribs. Each one curves from the spine around to the front of the chest. They protect the heart, lungs, liver and spleen. Hinged at the back and springy at the front, they swing up and out with every breath to make room for the lungs.
Surprising fact
The lowest two pairs are "floating ribs" because they don't attach to the front at all. Around one person in a hundred or two has an extra rib growing from the neck.
Why it matters
Every breath you take uses the ribcage. That's why a cracked rib makes breathing, coughing and laughing so painful, and why it heals slowly: it can never be fully rested.
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Open in the 3D atlas · Suggest a correction · Not medical advice.
3D models: Z-Anatomy & BodyParts3D (CC BY-SA 4.0 / 2.1 JP). Card text CC BY 4.0.