Select the correct option. (1) 11th and 12th pairs of ribs are connected to the sternum with the help of hyaline cartilage. (2) Each rib is a flat thin bone and all the ribs are connected dorsally to the thoracic vertebrae and ventrally to the sternum. (3) There are seven pairs of vertebrosternal, three pairs of vertebrochondral, and two pairs of vertebral ribs. (4) 8th, 9th, and 10th pairs of ribs articulate directly with the sternum
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is: (3) There are seven pairs of vertebrosternal, three pairs of vertebrochondral, and two pairs of vertebral ribs.
Explanation:
The human rib cage is a vital structure in the skeletal system, playing an essential role in protecting the heart, lungs, and other thoracic organs while also facilitating respiration. Here’s a detailed explanation of the options:
- “11th and 12th pairs of ribs are connected to the sternum with the help of hyaline cartilage”
This statement is incorrect. The 11th and 12th pairs of ribs are classified as “floating ribs” because they are not attached to the sternum or any cartilage. They remain free at their anterior ends. - “Each rib is a flat thin bone and all the ribs are connected dorsally to the thoracic vertebrae and ventrally to the sternum”
While it is true that ribs are flat bones and all ribs articulate dorsally with the thoracic vertebrae, not all ribs are ventrally connected to the sternum. Only the first seven pairs (true ribs) are directly connected to the sternum through costal cartilage. The 8th, 9th, and 10th pairs (false ribs) are connected indirectly via the cartilage of the 7th rib, and the 11th and 12th pairs (floating ribs) do not connect to the sternum at all. - “There are seven pairs of vertebrosternal, three pairs of vertebrochondral, and two pairs of vertebral ribs”
This statement is correct.- The first seven pairs of ribs are called vertebrosternal (true ribs) because they connect directly to the sternum through their own costal cartilage.
- The 8th, 9th, and 10th pairs are called vertebrochondral (false ribs) as they are indirectly connected to the sternum via the cartilage of the 7th rib.
- The 11th and 12th pairs are termed vertebral (floating ribs) because they are not connected to the sternum or cartilage at their anterior ends.
- “8th, 9th, and 10th pairs of ribs articulate directly with the sternum”
This statement is incorrect. These ribs (vertebrochondral ribs) articulate indirectly with the sternum via the cartilage of the 7th rib.
In summary, option (3) is the correct description of the classification and attachment of ribs in the human body.