The rib cage is an arrangement of bones that encloses the heart and the lungs. A human rib cage is known as a thoracic cage. It is bony and a cartilaginous in structure. Both men and women have 12 pairs of ribs, which mean they both have 24 ribs each. The position of the ribs decides what they are called. The ones that are attached to the sternum are called true ribs. The ribs that are indirectly connected via cartilage are known as false ribs.
It is a common myth that women have more ribs than men. This is attributed to the Biblical story that Eve was made from one of Adam’s ribs. There have been many instances where individuals were born with either 11 or 13 pairs of ribs. It is absurd to assume that women are born with more ribs than men. There is no scientific evidence that would prove this theory.
In the 14th Century, the discovery that both men and women have the same number of ribs have started a huge controversy. This happened because it was at odds with the biblical story of Eve’s creation from Adam’s rib. According to this story, men should have one less rib than women. This became a huge discovery as well as a huge controversy. But scientific facts and evidence proved this story wrong and it enraged people. Even today, many people believe that women have an extra rib.
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The only difference between men’s and women’s rib cage is that men have a larger rib cage. It is due to the testosterone during puberty. It expands the rib cage for better oxygen inhalation. If a man has fewer ribs than a woman, it is most likely that they got it removed due to some medical problems. This situation is not genderspecific. Anyone out of the two sexes can have fewer ribs with a surgical procedure. Other than this difference, both men and women have the same type of rib cage and the same number of ribs.
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Ribs can be regenerated. Many surgeries require removing part of a rib for bone grafting. The rib is removed from the periosteum which is a tissue surrounding the bone. It is like peeling a banana. However, the periosteum must remain because it will regenerate the rib bone. Surgeries are the only way by which a person may have a less rib bone than any other. It is not at all dependent on the sex of the person. Both men and women can have one or two fewer ribs because of a surgical procedure.
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This should clear up the confusion surrounding the notion that women have more ribs than men. Did you find this article informative? Do let us know what you think in the comments section below.
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5 Opinions
No, women and men have the same number of ribs, 12 pairs. This myth of women having more ribs than men traces back to theBible when god took Adam’s ribs and he turned into a woman. This myth has been busted with a scientific proven research that states, women and men have equal ribs. It helps our important organs to stay protected throughout. The function of ribs is three-fold. The first few ribs are connected to the sternum. It is a long flat bone, through which most of our ribs are connected. The next few bones in the ribs are not connected to the sternum. They make the red marrow and the few pair of ribs serves as a linking point to muscles that furtherhelp the respiratory system.