Question

What is the difference between true ribs, false ribs, and floating ribs

Answer 1

You have 12 pairs of ribs altogether.

Seven pairs are called true ribs. Each rib is attached to the breastbone in the front and curves around to join on to one of the vertebrae that make up the backbone via a strip of costal cartilage.

There are three pairs of false ribs. These are attached to vertebrae but are not linked to the breastbone. Instead, each rib is attached to the rib above it by cartilage.

There are two pairs of floating ribs. These are attached only to the vertebrae of the backbone.

Answer 2

The 12 pairs of ribs consist of: True ribs: The first seven ribs attach to the sternum (the breast bone) in the front and are known as true ribs (or sternal ribs). False ribs: The lower five ribs do not directly connect to the sternum and are known as false rib