of the wall of the chest, orthorax. The connection of the ribs to the breastbone—thesternum—is in all cases a secondary one, brought about by the relatively pliablerib(costal) cartilages. The small joints between the ribs and the vertebrae permit a gliding motion of the ribs on the ...
The rib cage surrounds the lungs and the heart, serving as an important means of bony protection for these vital organs.In total, the rib cage consists of the 12 thoracic vertebrae and the 24 ribs, in addition to the sternum. With each succeeding rib, from the first, or uppermost, the ...
Multiple muscles in the back function specifically in movements of the back. The erector spinae muscles, for example, extend the back (bend it backward) and side bend the back. The semispinalis dorsi and semispinalis capitis muscles also extend the back. The small muscles of the vertebrae (...