Facts about our lungs that must be kept in mind for good health. These organs are essential to keep you alive and facilitate breathing.
Despite their importance, many people don’t fully understand how they function or some lesser-known facts about them.
In this article, we explore deeper into this information and share with you three interesting facts.
Basic aspects of the lungs
They are two spongy, air-filled organs located on either side of the chest (thorax).
Each one is divided into sections called lobes—the right lung has three lobes, while the left lung has two, making room for the heart.
When we breathe in, air enters our body through our nose or mouth, travels down the trachea, and enters to them through a series of branching tubes called bronchi.
Air enters the bronchioles, then travels to small sacs known as alveoli, which are the site of gas exchange, where oxygen from the air is absorbed into the bloodstream and carbon dioxide.
This oxygen-rich blood is then pumped throughout the body to supply the organs and tissues with the oxygen they need to function properly.
3 fun facts
1. They are not symmetrical: The right one is larger than the left one, because the heart is located slightly to the left of the center of the chest.
2. They can float on water: this ability comes from the air contained within the alveoli, which makes the lungs buoyant.
This unique characteristic has been used historically in forensic science to determine whether a newborn had taken a breath before dying—a practice known as the hydrostatic test.
3. Its surface area is approximately the size of a tennis court: this large surface area is necessary to facilitate the efficient exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the air we breathe and our blood.
Discover more interesting facts in the following video! And if you’re concerned about your pulmonary health, contact us here.
