01 / Location & anatomical relationships
Curving around the chest from the spine.
02 / Structure & organization
Most people have twelve pairs of ribs. The first seven pairs attach to the sternum through their own costal cartilages; the next three attach indirectly, while the final two lack anterior sternal attachment.
03 / Function
Together with the breastbone and spine, they help protect your heart and lungs.
04 / Mechanism
Most ribs connect to the breastbone through cartilage, either directly or indirectly. Muscles between them help lift and lower the rib cage. This gives the lungs protection while allowing breathing movements.
Working together: skeletal system
Bones provide a framework. Muscles pull on them through tendons, and joints allow movement.
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Connect structure with function
Rib motion contributes to changes in thoracic volume. Their posterior articulations with vertebrae connect chest-wall movement to the axial skeleton.
Check your understanding
Locate the ribs in relation to its neighbors. Explain how the structural features described above support its function, then distinguish it from a nearby structure with a different role.
Keep learning
Continue with OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology for system-level study. This atlas is educational and has not undergone independent medical peer review.