Is it true that the rib is the only bone in the human body that does not have a brain?

It is widely believed that there is no brain in the rib. This belief is the basis for the corresponding joke about the mental abilities of women created, according to biblical mythology, from the rib of Adam. We decided to check whether the rib really has such a distinctive feature.

The fact that the rib is the only bone in the human body that does not have a brain, they tell on numerous forums and websites with questions And answers. "Brainlessness» Eve and therefore everyone women dedicated jokes - people talk about them even in articles about religion and on Orthodox websites temples.

Bone marrow is a spongy tissue education, which plays an important role in blood production and also produces immune cells that protect the body from infections and diseases. Composing on average 5% of body weight and being one of the most active organs, it is constantly renewed and produces new blood cells. Bone marrow shares into two main types: red and yellow. In red are formed red blood cells, eosinophils, neutrophils, basophils, lymphocytes, monocytes and platelets. Yellow consists of mainly from adipose tissue and serves as an energy reserve. Some researchers allocate the third type is gelatinous (mucoid) bone marrow. It is formed in the bones of the skull and does not produce blood-forming cells, instead producing glycosaminoglycans, important components of connective tissue.

Bone marrow located in the femurs, pelvic bones, ribs, sternum, inside the vertebral bodies, as well as in the bones of the skull and some bones of the extremities, such as the radius and ulna. The largest amount of red bone marrow is found in the bones of the pelvis and skull, and it is also located in the sternum (the oblong, flat bone in the middle of the chest) and in the ribs that are attached to it. Yellow bone marrow is located mainly in the bones of the limbs. Moreover, in newborn children, all bones contain only red bone marrow. As we get older, some of the red bone marrow replaced yellow. Thus, at the age of one month, a child’s yellow bone marrow is already found in minimal quantities in the diaphysis (central part) of the tubular bones. The replacement process continues until 14–15 years of age, when the ratio of red to yellow bone marrow becomes approximately the same, that is, the same as that of an adult.

Some pathologies, such as leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, aplastic anemia, Fanconi disease and some autoimmune diseases, require bone marrow transplantation (transplantation hematopoietic stem cells). Transplantation can be autogenous (pre-prepared cells obtained from the patient are used) and allogeneic (cells from a donor, for example a relative, are used). There are two methods used to collect bone marrow: apheresis and aspiration. At apheresis The donor begins to take drugs in advance that “expel” hematopoietic cells from the bone marrow into the blood, then blood is taken from a vein in one arm, passed through a special filter device and returned to the other arm. During the suction procedure, the doctor uses needle to remove bone marrow from the donor's bone tissue. Typically, bone marrow for transplantation is taken from the bones of the pelvis or chest, and much less often from the ribs. First, ribs contain less bone marrow than other bones. Secondly, collecting bone marrow from the ribs can be painful and cause complications.

However, in rare cases, if a bone marrow sample is needed for diagnosis, doctors may take it from the ribs. For example, in 2001, doctors from the University of Bologna published the results of his work to improve the accuracy of diagnosis of esophageal cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. The observation was based on bone marrow examinations of 21 patients. Doctors studied samples obtained in two ways: classical sampling (trepanobiopsy ilium using a Yamshidi needle) and using surgical resection of the rib segment. Tumor cells were found in materials from the rib segments of ten patients; none of them had tumor cells found in materials taken using the classical method. That is, resection of the rib segment coupled with examination of the collected bone marrow turned out to be a more accurate diagnostic method than traditional trephine biopsy. Samples bone marrow taken precisely from ribs, have been used in other scientific research.

Perhaps the popular myth has spread due to the fact that in the Russian language the term “bone marrow” contains the word “brain”, although it is not at all similar to the head and spinal. Bone marrow does not belong to the nervous system, and it lacks the most important component of the brain and spinal cord - neurons. Educational website about bone marrow donation “Blood 5” explains, how this term could have arisen: “The word “brain” in Russian historically means wet pulp, loose mass. Probably earlier people called the brain is the pulp inside any bone - in contrast to the hard shell.”

In the Bible, of course, wasn't The terminology of modern anatomical manuals was used. The part of Adam used to create Eve is called “whole,” which can also be translated as “side” or “side.” According to the popular interpretation, this reflects the idea that the primordial man is equally masculine and feminine; Subsequently, the female side was separated from the male side.

At the same time, in the bone marrow, including in the rib, there are stem cells, on the study of which scientists pin many hopes. For example, stem cells have the potential to creation artificial skin, which can be used to treat burns and other skin injuries, in development therapy for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, diabetes and heart insufficiency. Therefore, the biblical creation of Eve from the “rib” of Adam can be seen as not an act degrading women, but, on the contrary, the use of advanced scientific technologies.

Cover image: Paolo Veronese, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Not true

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