
The liver lies behind the right rib cage. The stomach also lies partially behind the rib cage. The spleen lies to the left, hidden behind the stomach.
Full Answer
What is the function of ribs in the body?
Ribs The ribs partially enclose and protect the chest cavity, where many vital organs (including the heart and the lungs) are located. The rib cage is collectively made up of long, curved individual bones with joint-connections to the spinal vertebrae.
What is the Order of ribs in the human body?
1 First rib. The first rib is the widest, shortest and has the sharpest curve of all the ribs. ... 2 Second rib. The second rib is thinner and significantly longer than the first. ... 3 Tenth, eleventh, twelfth ribs. The tenth to twelfth ribs have only one facet on their heads, and as such only articulate with a single vertebra.
What makes the superior tubercle of the ribs unique?
As in the typical ribs, the tubercle has a facet for articulation with the transverse process of vertebrae. The superior surface is unique in that it is marked by two grooves that allow passage of the subclavian vessels. These grooves are separated by the scalene tubercle – to which the anterior scalene muscle attaches.
What is the anatomy of the stomach?
Anatomy of the Stomach. The stomach is an organ of the digestive system. It is an expanded section of the digestive tube between the esophagus and small intestine. Its characteristic shape is well known. The right side of the stomach is called the greater curvature and the left the lesser curvature.

Do ribs cover stomach?
The stomach also lies partially behind the rib cage. The spleen lies to the left, hidden behind the stomach. The thick line roofing the organs is the diaphragm. As you see, abdominal organs reach quite some distance upwards behind the ribcage.
What is the stomach covered by?
The inner surface of the stomach is lined by a mucous membrane known as the gastric mucosa. The mucosa is always covered by a layer of thick mucus that is secreted by tall columnar epithelial cells.
What area covers your abdomen?
Finally, the abdomen contains an extensive membrane called the peritoneum. A fold of peritoneum may completely cover certain organs, whereas it may cover only one side of organs that usually lie closer to the abdominal wall.
Which organ is not protected by the rib cage?
Delicate internal organ which is not protected by rib cage is the liver.
Why is my stomach hurting?
Less serious causes of abdominal pain include constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, food allergies, lactose intolerance, food poisoning, and a stomach virus. Other, more serious, causes include appendicitis, an abdominal aortic aneurysm, a bowel blockage, cancer, and gastroesophageal reflux.
What is the top of the stomach called?
The cardia is the top part of your stomach. It contains the cardiac sphincter, which prevents food from traveling back up your esophagus. The fundus is a rounded section next to the cardia.
What is the area below the stomach called?
Hypogastric. The hypogastric region (below the stomach) contains the organs around the pubic bone. These include bladder, part of the sigmoid colon, the anus, and many organs of the reproductive system, such as the uterus and ovaries in females and the prostate in males.
What is pain right below the rib cage?
Pain below your ribs can be caused by your GI tract, like GERD, indigestion, gallbladder disease, or constipation, or problems with your lungs, like pneumonia. You may also have nausea, bloating, chest pain, coughing, or pain that's worse when you breathe in.
What is on the right side of your stomach?
In each area, there are specific organs or parts of the gastrointestinal system. For instance, the right upper part of the abdomen is where the liver, gall bladder, right kidney, and pancreas are located. In the left upper quadrant, the stomach, left kidney, and spleen are situated.
What organs are protected by ribs?
The ribs are connected to the sternum with a strong, somewhat flexible material called cartilage. The rib cage help protects the organs in the chest, such as the heart and lungs, from damage.
What organ is in between your rib cage?
The liver is located under the ribs on the right hand side of the body. It lies just below the lungs, under the top of the diaphragm to which it is attached. The diaphragm is the muscle beneath the lungs which regulates our breathing. The liver is partly protected by the rib cage.
What are some organs that are protected by the ribs?
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.
How many ribs are there in the human body?
There are 12 pairs of ribs and they attach to the spine. There are seven upper ribs, known as “true” ribs, which attach to the sternum (breastbone) in the front of body. The eighth, ninth, and tenth pairs are known as “false” ribs because they are not attached to the sternum but, instead, to the seventh rib.
Why are the eleventh and twelfth pairs of ribs called floating ribs?
The eleventh and twelfth pairs of ribs are called floating ribs because they attach only to the spine, leaving their opposite ends unattached. The seven pairs of true ribs are connected to the sternum by costal cartilage, which is flexible and allows the rib cage to expand and retract during breathing.
What are the two tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder?
The ureters are two tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder. The ends of each tube act as valves by closing when the bladder is full and preventing backflow of urine. The main bones in the abdominal region are the ribs. The rib cage protects vital internal organs.
What is the small sac underneath the liver that holds extra bile made by the liver?
The gallbladder is a small sac underneath the liver that holds extra bile made by the liver until it is pumped into the small intestine. Directly below the liver, the stomach stores food and prepares it for digestion. In the stomach, food mixes with digestive juices.
Which part of the endocrine system is responsible for storing water?
Part of the endocrine system, these glands are divided into two portions, the adrenal cortex and the adrenal medulla, and each synthesizes and secretes a different set of hormones. The various hormones help the kidneys to conserve sodium, thus conserving water.
What is the digestive juice in the stomach?
Digestive juices in the stomach include hydrochloric acid, electrolytes, and enzymes, like pepsin.
Which organ is the largest organ in the body?
At the height of the cavity is the liver, the body’s largest organ. It acts like a filtration system. It rids the body of toxins and produces bile, which aids in the digestion and absorption of fats and vitamins that dissolve in fat, such as A, D, E, and K.
What is the shape of the stomach?
The stomach is an organ of the digestive system. It is an expanded section of the digestive tube between the esophagus and small intestine. Its characteristic shape is well known. The right side of the stomach is called the greater curvature and the left the lesser curvature. The most distal and narrow section of the stomach is termed ...
What is the term for the folds of the stomach?
In the empty state, the stomach is contracted and its mucosa and submucosa are thrown up into distinct folds called rugae; when distended with food, the rugae are "ironed out" and flat. If the lining of the stomach is examined with a hand lens, one can see that it is covered with numerous small holes.
What is the function of the gastric smooth muscle?
First, it allows the stomach to grind, crush and mix ingested food, liquefying it to form what is called "chyme.". Second, it forces the chyme through the pyloric canal, into the small intestine, a process called gastric emptying.
What is the control system for stomach?
Motility in both the proximal and distal regions of the stomach is controlled by a very complex set of neural and hormonal signals. Nervous control originates from the enteric nervous system as well as parasympathetic (predominantly vagus nerve) and sympathetic systems.
Which part of the stomach is the most distal and narrow?
The most distal and narrow section of the stomach is termed the pylorus —as food is liquefied in the stomach it passes through the pyloric canal into the small intestine. 01. of 03.
What is the pattern of smooth muscle contractions that originates in the stomach, propagates through the intestines
This is due to a different pattern of motor activity called the migrating motor complex , a pattern of smooth muscle contractions that originates in the stomach, propagates through the intestines and serves a housekeeping function to periodically sweep out the gastrointestinal tract. Bailey, Regina.
What is it called when you swallow food and you have a large reservoir?
Interestingly, swallowing of food and consequent gastric distention inhibits contraction of this region of the stomach, allowing it to balloon out and form a large reservoir without a significant increase in pressure—this phenomenon is called "adaptive relaxation. ".
Where do the ribs extend?
They extend from the inner surface of one rib to the inner surface of either the next rib or even the one below that. This muscle assists the internal intercostal muscles.
What is the shape of the rib?
Body. The body, or shaft, of the rib is thin, flat and curved . The curve becomes most prominent at the costal angle, which is when the rib turns anterolaterally. The costal angle also marks the attachment for some of the deep back muscles to the ribs.
What are the false ribs?
Ribs eight to ten are the false ribs and are connected to the sternum indirectly via the cartilage of the rib above them. The final two pairs of ribs are floating ribs and the cartilage of these ribs tends to end within the abdominal musculature. These three types can then be classified as either typical or atypical.
How many pairs of ribs are there in the thoracic cage?
They are extremely light, but highly resilient; contributing to their role in protecting the internal thoracic organs. There are twelve pairs of ribs, all of which articulate with the vertebral column. However, only seven have a direct articulation with the sternum.
What is the structure of atypical ribs?
Structure of typical ribs. Head (contains two articular facets), neck, tubercle (has an articular and non articular part), and body (curves at the costal angle, the internal surface contains the costal groove and it joins with the costal cartilage) Structure of atypical ribs. First - widest, shortest, it has the sharpest curve ...
Where are the intercostal muscles located?
These pass from the inferior edge of the costal groove to the superior margins of the ribs below. These muscle fibres extend in a posteroinferior direction and again pass in an oblique manner. These muscles are only present from the parasternal area to the angle of the ribs. Their action is to depress the ribs in forced expiration.
Why are middle ribs so dangerous?
Middle ribs are the most likely to fracture and are dangerous because the broken end can puncture numerous organs, such as the lungs. Fractures of the upper ribs are rare due to their relatively protected position, but if it occurs there can be damage to the brachial plexus.
