The long flat bone in the center of your chest where the ribs connect in the front, often called the breastbone.
From Late Latin “sternum,” from Greek “sternon,” meaning chest or breast. The term has been used in anatomy since ancient times.
Your sternum is like the front shield of your rib cage, protecting your heart and lungs. In CPR, pressing on the chest means pushing down on the sternum to squeeze the heart between the front and back of the rib cage.
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