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Floating rib
Floating ribOne of the last two ribs. A rib is said to be "floating" if it does not attach to the sternum (the breast bone) or to another rib. There are usually 12 pairs of ribs in all. Each pair of ribs is attached to the building blocks of the spine (the vertebrae) in the back. The 12 pairs of ribs consist of: True ribs: The first seven ribs attach to the sternum (the breast bone) in the front and are known as true (or sternal) ribs and False ribs: The lower five ribs do not directly connect to the sternum and are known as false ribs. The upper three false ribs connect to the costal cartilages of the ribs just above them. The last two false ribs, however, usually have no ventral attachment (no anchor at all in front) and are called floating, fluctuating or vertebral ribs. RELATED TERMS-------------------------------------- Sternum The breastbone. Breast The breast refers to the front of the chest or, more specifically, to the mammary gland. The mammary gland is a milk producing gland. It is composed largely of fat. Within the mammary gland is a complex network of branching ducts. These ducts exit from sac-like structures called lobules, which can produce milk in females. The ducts exit the breast at the nipple. Spine A column in the body consisting of 33 vertebrae. SIMILAR TERMS-------------------------------------- Floater A blurry spot that appears to float around in the eye but does not block vision. The blur is the result of debris from the vitreous humour casting a shadow on the retina. Floaters Small condensations of cells in the vitreous body, the fluid in the eye, which cast shadows on the back of the eye, known as the retina. This is normally associated with aging. Floaters may indicate a more serious problem such as a retinal detachment. If you suddenly see a lot of floaters, please see your eye doctor. Floating-Harbor syndrome A genetic condition characterized by the triad of short stature apparent at birth with significantly delayed bone age; expressive language delay, usually in the presence of normal motor development; and a triangular face with a prominent nose and deep-set eyes. Other features include posteriorly rotated ears, long eyelashes, thin lips, broad downturned mouth, short neck, low posterior hairline, celiac disease, joint laxity, curved fifth finger (clinodactyly), and hirsutism (hairiness). PREVIOUS AND NEXT TERMS-------------------------------------- Flavoproteins Flavoproteins are yellow proteins that serve as enzymes critical to the ability of cells in the body to respire, to breath. (The "flavo-" is borrowed from the Latin "flavus", yellow). Flavoproteins are, in other words, respiratory enzymes. As enzymes they catalyze (speed) what are technically termed oxidation-reduction reactions. The first yellow enzyme was discovered. Flax seed The seed of the common flax plant (also known as linseed and, botanically, Linum usitatissimum). Flax seed and flax seed oil are a rich souce of ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), the only one of the omega-3 fatty acids that is essential in the sense that the body cannot make it so, if one is to get it, it must be in the diet. Flesh-eating bacteria A popular media term for a type of strep bacteria (group A streptococcus) which rapidly destroys tissue and left untreated causes death. Surgical excision of dead and infected tissue is usually necessary to help control the infection. The rapid spread and destruction of tissue caused by these bacteria is thought due to a combination of factors related to a protective coat and other substances produced by the bacteria. Flexion The process of bending or the state of being bent. Flexion of the fingers results in a clenched fist. Flexural psoriasis A form of psoriasis found in the armpits, groin, under the breasts and in other flexion creases (skin folds) such as those around the genitals and buttocks. This form of psoriasis appears as smooth, dry areas of skin that are red and inflamed but do not have the scaling associated with plaque psoriasis (the most common type of psoriasis). Flexural psoriasis is more frequent and severe in people who are overweight because it is in the skin folds where it is particularly prone to irritation from rubbing and sweating. Also called inverse psoriasis. Floating rib Floating-Harbor syndrome A genetic condition characterized by the triad of short stature apparent at birth with significantly delayed bone age; expressive language delay, usually in the presence of normal motor development; and a triangular face with a prominent nose and deep-set eyes. Other features include posteriorly rotated ears, long eyelashes, thin lips, broad downturned mouth, short neck, low posterior hairline, celiac disease, joint laxity, curved fifth finger (clinodactyly), and hirsutism (hairiness). Floppy baby syndrome A general medical reference to an abnormal condition of newborns and infants manifested by inadequate tone of the muscles. It can be due to a multitude of different neurologic and muscle problems. See also Hypotonia. Flora The population of microbes inhabiting the outside or inside surfaces of people (or other animals). Also, the population of plants including flowers, usually in a particular area. Flow cytometry Analysis of biological material by detection of the light-absorbing or fluorescing properties of cells or subcellular fractions such as chromosomes passing in a narrow stream through a laser beam. Flow cytometry can be used with automated sorting devices to sort successive droplets of the stream into different fractions depending on the fluorescence emitted by each droplet. Flow karyotyping Use of flow cytometry to analyze and/or separate chromosomes on the basis of their DNA content. We thank you for using the Medical Glossary to search for Floating rib. If you have a better definition for Floating rib than the one presented here, please let us know by making use of the suggest a term option. This definition of Floating rib may be disputed by other professionals. Our attempt is to provide easy definitions on Floating rib and any other medical topic for the public at large.
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