Body & Senses
How does the rib cage protect the heart and lungs?
A protective cage inside the body: the Wusels explore ribs, heart and lungs.
The short answer
The ribs, breastbone and part of the spine form the rib cage. It protects the heart and lungs. It can also move and expand during breathing, making room for the lungs.
An imagined Wusel scene
Puschel and Flauschi investigate
Puschel imagines a rigid wooden box around the lungs. Then he rests his hands lightly on his own ribs and breathes normally. He feels movement.
Flauschi draws a box beside some movable arches: the arches are a better comparison for a rib cage.
Try explaining it
Why is the rib cage not a rigid sealed box?
Choose a), b) or c), then explain your choice.
- a)It can move during breathing.
- b)It protects only at rest and opens completely during breathing.
- c)The ribs grow longer with each breath and shorten again.
Show the explanation
Correct: a): It can move during breathing.
The ribs, breastbone and part of the spine form the rib cage. It protects the heart and lungs. It can also move and expand during breathing, making room for the lungs.
Explore in more detail
Here you will find longer explanations and further details. You can explore them together.
Understand step by step
How it works – simply explained
A protected space
Ribs, breastbone at the front and spine at the back form the rib cage. Heart and lungs lie inside, protected by this framework.
Not closed armour
Muscles and other tissues lie between the ribs. The chest is not a rigid metal box. Its changing space matters for breathing.
Moving with breath
Ribs can rise during inhalation, enlarging the chest. The diaphragm helps below. Air enters the lungs; during quiet exhalation the space becomes smaller again.
References for this explanation: [1]