A typical man has 24 ribs in total, arranged as 12 pairs—12 ribs on the left side and 12 ribs on the right side of the body. This count is the same for women as well; both sexes usually have the same number of ribs
. The ribs are categorized as follows:
- The first 7 pairs are "true ribs," which connect directly to the sternum via costal cartilage.
- The next 3 pairs (ribs 8 to 10) are "false ribs," which connect indirectly to the sternum through cartilage.
- The last 2 pairs (ribs 11 and 12) are "floating ribs," which do not connect to the sternum at all and only attach to the spine
The myth that men have one fewer rib than women is false and likely originates from biblical stories but has no anatomical basis
. Some people may have variations such as extra ribs (supernumerary ribs) or fewer ribs due to genetic anomalies, but these are rare and not related to sex differences
