Do you know how many ribs are in your body? This question is on the minds of many people, and indeed it is important to understand the anatomy and nature of your body, for this reason we decided to explain to you in this article the number of body ribs, their functions and their importance, and we will reveal to you the difference between the number of ribs of a woman and a man, so follow us.

What are ribs?

The ribs partially close the chest cavity to protect it, because this area is full of vital, minute and important organs such as the lungs, spleen and heart, and these ribs are designed with great precision and complete care that makes them a strong support for the skeleton of the human body.

How many ribs are in the body?

The rib cage of the human body consists of about 12 pairs of ribs, or 24 ribs, 12 ribs on each side of this rib cage. In some cases, the number of ribs in some people may be 11 pairs or 13 pairs. These ribs are very finely coiled with each other.

The bones of these ribs are articulated with the spine from the back and ends in the front like cartilage, and there are small joints located between the ribs and vertebrae, which allow the sliding movements of the ribs on the vertebrae during the breathing process.

Is the number of ribs different between men and women?

There are some sayings that men have fewer ribs than women, but this is completely false. The number of ribs is equal between men and women, and there is no medical saying that shows that a man has fewer ribs than a woman, as is commonly believed. Cases in which the ribs may be missing or extra are individual cases that may occur to women and men randomly and for congenital reasons.

Ribs shape and composition

The ribs are a bony chain consisting of long, flat, curved bones. These bones form a large part of the skeleton of the rib cage, which protects the chest area.

This bone chain is very light but highly flexible to allow the lungs to contract and expand during the breathing process, and this is a perfect example of the unique design of the human body, multifunctional and multifaceted. As for the formal formation of the ribs, the rib consists of three parts, which we will explain to you.

1- real ribs

They are the upper 7 pairs of ribs of the rib cage, and they are directly connected to the sternum, which are the bones located in the anterior center of the chest by the costal costal cartilage, which is hyaline cartilage that allows the rib cage to expand and contract.

2- false ribs

They are the pairs of ribs from rib No. 8 to 12, and they are connected to the sternum but indirectly through the costal costal cartilage. These ribs are well fixed in place, but at the same time they allow some movement, in order to maintain the stability of the chest during the process of inhalation and exhalation. .

3- Floating ribs

This name is given to the last two pairs of chest ribs, which connect to the spine from the back only and do not connect to the anterior cage bone. The cartilages of these ribs end inside the abdominal muscles.

What are the extra ribs?

They are extra ribs, and this condition occurs in about 0.5% of the world’s population. A pair of ribs increases at the top of the rib cage. This extra pair of ribs often develops on the last vertebrae of the neck, which is the seventh cervical vertebra, and thus it is above the first rib of the rib cage. . This pair of ribs is called the cervical rib, and it may be double or only one rib.

In some cases, the extra ribs may develop from the lumbar spine, below the 12th rib pair, but this condition is rare and occurs in only about 1% of the world’s population.

These extra ribs do not cause any strange symptoms, but they may cause pressure on blood vessels and cause them to narrow, and they may press on nerves, and in this case may lead to a condition known as thoracic outlet syndrome.

Functions of the ribs in the human body

There are two main functions of the ribs in the body:

• Protecting vital organs located in the chest cavity, such as the heart, lungs, spleen and part of the liver.
• Gives the chest area the necessary and safe space and maintains this space, in order to support the function of the lungs in contraction and expansion during the breathing process.

The most common rib problems

There are a number of problems that may affect the ribs of the body and cause problems in their structure and may harm the internal organs of the thoracic cavity as well. We will explain these problems to you.

rib fractures

One of the most common problems that the ribs may be exposed to in the body are rib fractures. This condition tends to occur more frequently in ribs 7 to 10 than in the upper or lower ribs, because the collarbone serves to protect the upper ribs, and the floating property of the lower ribs protects them from damage.

loose chest

It is a serious condition that results from the exposure of 3 adjacent ribs to a fracture at once, or the exposure of more than 3 fractured ribs in separate areas. In this case, the shape of the rib cage and the support capabilities are affected, making breathing very difficult.

Also, this condition may cause the edge of the fractured rib to penetrate the inner cavity of the chest and reach the lung, and this condition may also cause the lung tissue to be bruised and various damages, and this may expose the person to life-threatening acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Ways to maintain healthy ribs

There are no specific ways or steps to maintain the health of your ribs, but you must take care of repeated trauma to the rib cage or exposing it to severe external pressure, so as not to cause fracture of the ribs and its health complications.