# What are the ribs called?

It is called the ribs (costae). Gray's Anatomy (1918) describes it as twelve pairs of flat, curved bones that form the walls of the chest.

## What it means

- Twelve pairs of flat, curved bones that form the walls of the chest.
- The upper seven pairs are 'true' ribs, joined directly to the sternum by costal cartilage.
- The lower five pairs are 'false' ribs; the last two pairs are 'floating' ribs, unattached in front.

## Action steps

1. Extending from the thoracic vertebrae in the back to the sternum in front.
2. Enclose the heart and lungs.
3. Rise and fall with each breath.

## Sources

- [Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body (1918)](https://www.bartleby.com/107/)

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