The human body has five pairs of false ribs, which are ribs eight through twelve. These ribs are called "false" because they do not connect directly to the sternum, the breastbone. Instead, their costal cartilages, which are the flexible connective tissues, either join to the costal cartilages of the ribs above or remain unattached.
The false ribs can be further categorized into two types:
- False ribs (ribs 8-10): These ribs connect to the sternum indirectly through their costal cartilages, which join to the costal cartilages of the ribs above.
- Floating ribs (ribs 11-12): These ribs do not connect to the sternum at all.
Therefore, the total number of false ribs in the human body is ten.
