How Many Chest Bones Are In The Human Body?

There are 26 bones in the chest of a human body. These bones include 24 ribs in 12 pairs, a sternum, and a hyoid bone. These bones provide structural support and flexibility, facilitating essential functions like breathing and movement of the upper limbs. Together these bones form the rib cage and protect the vital organs such as the lungs and heart. In this article, we will cover the chest bones in the human body.

How Many Chest Bones Are in the Human Body?

There are 26 bones in the chest of human body. The Bones of the chest consists of:

• Sternum: Flat bone present at the front of the chest. It forms the anterior part of the ribcage and connects the ribs.
• Ribs (12 pairs): There are 12 pairs of bones in the rib.
  • True Ribs (1-7): Articulate directly with the sternum through costal cartilage.
  • False Ribs (8-12): Connected indirectly to the sternum.
  • Floating Ribs (11-12): It is not attached to the sternum but ends in the posterior abdominal muscles.
• Hyoid Bone: The hyoid bone is a U-shaped bone in the neck that provides support for the tongue and is not directly attached to any other bones.

Diagram of Chest Bone in the Human Body

The diagram of chest bone:

Anatomy of the Chest Bones

The chest, or thorax, is made up of the thoracic cage and the thoracic wall. Rib cage consists of 24 ribs, the costal cartilages, and the sternum. The ribs are attached to the 12 thoracic vertebrae (T1–T12) at the back. The thoracic cage provides protection to the lung and the heart. The thoracic wall is made up of a skeletal structure, fascia, muscles, and neurovasculature. It is a strong, protective, yet flexible cage. The thoracic cavity is located in the chest as a space that contains organs, nerves, blood vessels, etc.

• Organs: The thoracic cavity contains five organs including: the lungs, heart, trachea, esophagus, and thymus.
• Muscles: Muscles such as the pectoralis major, intercostals, and diaphragm contribute to movement and breathing.
• Blood vessels and Nerves: The aorta, superior and inferior vena cava, and major nerves, like the phrenic and intercostal nerves, traverse the chest.

Ribs

The ribs form the thoracic cage with the 12 pairs of ribs. Ribs are flat, narrow, and curved in shape. The ribs are numbered 1–12. corresponding to the vertebrate present in the back. With the help of the costovertebral joint each rib articulates with two thoracic vertebrae posteriorly. Anteriorly the ribs are attached to the sternum through their costal cartilages. The ribs are categorised into three types according to their attachment to the sternum: true, false, and floating ribs.

• True Ribs (1-7): These are the first seven pairs of ribs. They are connected directly to the sternum through costal cartilage.
• False Ribs (8-12): False ribs are ribs number 8 to 10 which are indirectly connected to the sternum through shared costal cartilage.
• Floating Ribs: The 11th and 12th ribs are considered floating ribs as they do not attach to the sternum.

Cervical rib is an extra rib present in 1 in 500 people. Ribs protect vital organs in the thoracic cavity, such as the heart and lungs. They also play a role in the mechanics of breathing, as they move during inhalation and exhalation.

Sternum

The sternum is a flat, long bone which is present in the center of the chest. It is also called breast bone. It’s T-shaped and through the cartilage the ribs connects to the sternum. Sternum is part of the thoracic cage and helps protect the lungs, heart, and blood vessels. The sternum is mostly cartilaginous until the age of 40 and becomes completely calcified by the age of 60. The sternum is divided into three parts:

1. Manubrium:
   • The uppermost segment of the sternum.
   • It articulates with the clavicle or collarbones at the clavicular notches.
   • Forms the joint with the first rib.
2. Body (or Gladiolus):
   • The largest and middle part of the sternum.
   • Articulates with the manubrium above and the xiphoid process below.
   • Connects with the second to seventh ribs.
3. Xiphoid Process:
   • The lowest and smallest part of the sternum.
   • It is cartilaginous in structure and may ossify with age.
   • Present at the tenth thoracic vertebra level.

The sternum has many functions, including:

• It stabilizes the thoracic skeleton.
• At the sternum other bones and muscles also connects.
• Most of the muscles of the head, arm and neck that have movement have their origins on the sternum.

Hyoid Bone

Located in the front of the neck, it is a small, horseshoe-shaped bone. It supports the tongue and help in swallowing and speaking. The muscles of the tongue and floor of the mouth attaches to the hyoid bone. It’s the only “floating” bone in the body. It is connected to other bones by ligaments and muscles.

No.	Bone Name
1	Sternum
2	Manubrium
3	Body of sternum
4	Xiphoid process
5	Clavicle (collarbone)
6	Scapula (shoulder blade)
7	Humerus (upper arm bone)
8	Ribs (12 pairs, 24 in total)
9 – 20	Rib 1 – Rib 12
21	True ribs (7 pairs)
22	False ribs (3 pairs)
23	Floating ribs (2 pairs)
24	Costal cartilage
25	Xiphisternum (xiphoid process)
26	Costovertebral joints

Functions of the Chest Bones of Human Body

The bones of the chest, also known as the rib cage or thoracic cage have the following functions:

• It protect vital organs like the heart, lungs and provide structural support for the body.
• Muscles responsible for breathing, such as the intercostal muscles, attach to the ribs. These muscles play a crucial role in the respiratory process.
• The sternum and ribs provide articulation points for the attachment of the clavicles (collarbones) and the upper limbs.
• The bony thorax supports the walls of the pleural cavity and diaphragm.
• The floating ribs allow for a degree of flexibility in the lower thoracic region, which accommodates movements of the abdomen and facilitates breathing.
• The chest bones play a role in maintaining an upright posture and contribute to the overall stability of the spine.

Common Chest Bone Disorders in Human Body

Some common chest bone issues include:

• Costochondritis: In costochondrities the cartilage that connects ribs to the sternum gets inflammed. It causes pain in the chest that can mimic heart attack.
• Pectus carinatum (pigeon chest): It is chest wall deformity occurs when the cartilage between the ribs and sternum overgrows, causing the middle portion of the chest to bulge out.
• Pectus excavatum: This condition occurs when the sternum and ribs grow inward, creating a dent in the chest. It’s also known as funnel chest or sunken chest.
• Exostosis: It occurs when a bone grows beyond its normal smooth surface. Depending on its size and location, exostosis can cause chronic pain or irritation.
• Other conditions: Other conditions that can cause pain in the sternum include: Injuries, Pneumonia, Bronchitis, Gastrointestinal problems.

Importance of Chest Bone in Human Body

The chest bones, including the sternum and ribs are important for the following reasons:

• The ribcage in the chest bone region provides protection to the vital organs like lungs, heart and prevent them from external injury.
• Ribs plays an important role in the mechanism of breathing. They expand and contract with the help of intercostal muscles, facilitating the inhalation and exhalation of air.
• Muscles, such as those involved in respiration and arm movement, attaches to the chest bones, which allows for coordinated and controlled movements necessary for activities such as breathing and lifting.
• Sternum protects the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels from injury. The sternum also provides supports to the surrounding bones and muscles.
• At sternum other bones including the collarbone and ribs of the skeletal system connects.

Conclusion – How Many Chest Bones Are In The Human Body?

In conclusion, the chest bones consisting of the sternum and ribs, provides the protection to the vital organs such as the heart and lungs from external injury. The ribcage prevents injuries to the vital organs and ensures the structural integrity of the thoracic region. The bones also takes part in the mechanics of breathing through expansion and contraction. The bones of the chest bone provides attachment for muscles, which allows coordinated movements required for respiration and other activities. Sternum protects the heart, lungs, and also provides support to the surrounding bones and muscles.

FAQs on How Many Chest Bones Are In The Human Body?

How Many Bones are in Chest?

In adult human being there are 26 bones in the chest. 12 pair of ribs in total 24 ribs, one sternum and one hyoid bone.

How Many Bones are in the Lungs?

There are no bones in the lungs.

What is the Chest of the Human Body?

The chest, also known as the thorax, is the upper part of the human body between the neck and the abdomen, housing vital organs such as the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels.

How Many Pairs of Bones are in the Chest?

There are 12 pairs of bones in the chest, commonly known as ribs. These ribs form the rib cage, providing protection to the vital organs in the thoracic cavity, such as the heart and lungs.

 What are Ribs in the Human Body?

Ribs are long, flat and curved bones that together forms the rib cage which protect the thoracic cavity. They are flat, narrow, and curved strips of bones that protect the thoracic cavity.

What is Chest Bone Pain Called?

Chest bone pain is called Costochondritis. The cartilage that connects a rib to the sternum gets inflammed.

How Many Bones are in Ribs?

In the ribs there 12 pair of bones, in total 24 bones. The first seven pairs of ribs are called true ribs and ribs 8 to 10 are considered false ribs. The 11th and 12th ribs are considered floating ribs.

Are Female Ribs Different than Males?

Female ribs are longer than male ribs relative to their height. This leads to increased angulation of the ribs in a female rib cage.

Is Floating Rib True or False?

A floating rib is a type of false rib. Floating ribs are more easily broken because they lack the anterior attachment to the sternum, which provides additional support and stability.