The elastic, spongy organs through which the body absorbs oxygen.
One of the two primary components of the respiratory system, the lungs are responsible for providing the body with essential oxygen required for aerobic metabolism while also expelling the waste product, carbon dioxide.
Air is transported to the lungs via the trachea (windpipe), which then splits into two primary bronchi, each serving a lung. These main bronchi further branch into smaller bronchi, eventually dividing into even finer bronchioles. These bronchioles lead to airways that connect to grape-like air sacs known as alveoli. Oxygen and carbon dioxide pass through the thin alveolar walls, diffusing into or out of the bloodstream.
Every lung is enveloped by a dual layer of membrane referred to as the pleura. The two layers of the pleura release a lubricating fluid, facilitating unrestricted movement of the lungs as they expand and contract during the breathing process.
One of the pair of organs responsible for oxygenating the blood from the air we breathe. The right lung has three sections, known as lobes, while the left has two. These organs sit in the chest, separated by the heart and the mediastinum. Blood flows to the heart from each lung via the pulmonary veins. Both lungs are enveloped in a double-layered protective membrane known as the pleura. The space between these layers is the pleural cavity. The inner layer that directly covers the lung is the visceral pleura, and the outer layer lining the chest cavity is the parietal pleura. An interesting fact is that if the surface area of the lung were spread out, it would span approximately 70 square meters.