Ribs are curved, flattened bones forming the thoracic cavity wall with the thoracic muscles. There are 12 pairs of thoracic ribs. The posterior ends of all the ribs articulate with the T1–T12 thoracic vertebrae. In contrast,the anterior ends of most ribs attach to the sternum via their costal cartilages.
Parts of a Typical Rib
A typical rib has a head, neck, and body. The posterior end of the rib is called the head, followed by a narrow neck. The head articulates primarily with the costal facet...

The thoracic or rib cage forms the body's thorax (chest) portion. Its primary function in the body is to protect vital organs in the thoracic cavity, such as the heart and the lungs. It consists of 12 pairs of ribs with their costal cartilages and the sternum. The ribs are anchored posteriorly to the 12 thoracic vertebrae (T1-T12).
The sternum is the elongated bony structure on the anterior side of the thoracic cage. It consists of three parts: the manubrium, the body, and the xiphoid process.

The skeleton is subdivided into two major divisions—the axial skeleton and the appendicular skeleton. The axial skeleton forms the vertical, central axis of the body. It includes all of the bones of the head, neck, chest, and back. It protects the brain, spinal cord, heart, and lungs. It also serves as the attachment site for muscles that move the head, neck, and back and for muscles that act across the shoulder and hip joints to move their corresponding limbs.
The axial skeleton of the adult...

The vertebral column or spine is a flexible column that supports the head, neck, and body and  allows for their movements. It also protects the spinal cord.
Regions of the Vertebral Column
In an adult, the spine is subdivided into five regions: the cervical, the thoracic, the lumbar, the sacral, and the coccygeal region. The spine initially develops as a series of 33 vertebrae; after 20 years of age, the nine bones in the sacral region, five sacral, and four coccygeal bones fuse to form the...

The lungs are a pair of vital organs connected to the trachea via the left and right bronchi. The base of these organs meets the dome-shaped muscle known as the diaphragm. Encased by the pleurae, the lungs contact the mediastinum. The right lung is shorter yet wider, and has a larger volume than the left lung. The left lung has an indentation known as the cardiac notch. The superior region of the lungs is referred to as the apex, whereas the base is the lower region near the diaphragm. The...

As the name indicates, at a cartilaginous joint, the adjacent bones are united by cartilage, a tough but flexible type of connective tissue. Unlike synovial joints, these types of joints lack a joint cavity and involve bones joined together by either hyaline cartilage or fibrocartilage.
There are two types of cartilaginous joints:
Synchondrosis
A synchondrosis ("joined by cartilage") is a cartilaginous joint where bones are connected by hyaline cartilage. Synchondrosis may be temporary or...