The human body has 12 rib pairs that stretch from the thoracic vertebrae towards the front of the torso. Starting from the top, they are numbered as the first, second, and so on. The top seven pairs are known as true ribs, which connect directly to the sternum or breastbone at their front ends. The remaining five pairs are termed false ribs; the first three of these connect to the rib above them via cartilage. The final two pairs are unattached and are commonly referred to as floating ribs.