Question

1. ribs 8 - 12 are known as \false\ ribs because they do not attach to the.....

cranium
vertebrae
sternum
pelvis

Explanation:

The sternum is the flat bone in the center of the chest. True ribs (1 - 7) attach directly to the sternum. False ribs (8 - 12) do not attach directly to the sternum. Ribs 8 - 10 attach to the costal cartilages of the ribs above, and ribs 11 - 12 (floating ribs) have no anterior attachment. The cranium is the skull, vertebrae are the bones of the spine, and the pelvis is the hip - bone complex. Since the question is about rib attachment, the relevant structure is the sternum.

Answer:

sternum