Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAnatomyFunctionAssociated ConditionsTests
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Anatomy
Function
Associated Conditions
Tests
SCIEPRO/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY
Structure
Inside the lungs are bronchi—tubes that run from thetracheainto each lung. The bronchi branch off into smaller tubes called bronchioles which help air reach the alveoli, which are tiny air sacs in each lung. There are approximately 30,000 bronchioles in each lung and 600 million alveoli in each lung combined.
The lungs also consist ofpulmonary arteries,pulmonary veins, bronchial arteries, as well aslymph nodes. While most arteries carry oxygenated blood to the tissues and veins carry deoxygenated blood back, this is reversed in the lungs. Deoxygenated blood is sent from the right ventricle of the heart to the lungs via the pulmonary artery. The blood is oxygenated in the lungs and exits through the pulmonary vein to the left side of the heart, where it is pumped out to the circulate through the body. Bronchial arteries, which stem from theaorta, get blood supply to fuel areas like the bronchi, lung roots, and surrounding structures.
Location
Looking at the lungs from the front they lie right above the collarbone and go halfway down the rib cage, although the back of the lungs are slightly longer, ending just above the last rib, while the pleura extends down the entirety of the rib cage. Together with your heart, the lungs take up almost the entire width of the rib cage.
Anatomical Variations
It’s common to see anatomical variations when it comes to the lungs. For example, in one study of 50 cadavers, 26% had incomplete and absent fissures, extra lobes, and/or an azygos lobe (when the azygos vein creates an extra fissure in the right lobe).
While these anatomical variations are common and often go unnoticed in otherwise healthy individuals, it’s important to distinguish them when reading radiological images as well as ahead of any surgery involving the lungs and monitoring for any post-operative complications like air leakage.These variations occur can happen for a number of reasons. According to research published inAnatomy & Cell Biology,the most common include genetic and environmental factors during development.
The act of the lungs exhaling is also what helps you speak. The exhaled air goes back through the trachea to the larynx and finally the vocal cords, making them vibrate and produce sound.
Lung disease is an extremely broad term, as it covers a plethora of conditions ranging from mild to severe. The three main types of lung disease include:
Yourlung functionhits max capacity between the ages of 20 to 25 years old, but after age 35 it naturally (and slightly) declines.However, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath is not normal and should be discussed with your healthcare provider immediately. After discussing your symptoms along with your overall health history, your healthcare provider may order one or more of the below tests to determine the cause behind your breathing difficulty:
17 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Cancer Institute SEER Training Modules.Anatomy of the lung.Kids Health from Nemours.Your lungs & respiratory system.Teach Me Anatomy.The lungs.Chaudhry R, Bordoni B.Anatomy, thorax, lungs.StatPearls.Poe E, Granite G.Anatomical lung variations: A study conducted on cadaveric specimens.International Journal of Anatomical Variations.George BM, Nayak SB, Marpalli S.Morphological variations of the lungs: a study conducted on Indian cadavers.Anat Cell Biol. 2014;47(4):253-258. doi:10.5115/acb.2014.47.4.253Kc S, Shrestha P, Shah AK, Jha AK.Variations in human pulmonary fissures and lobes: a study conducted in Nepalese cadavers.Anat Cell Biol. 2018;51(2):85-92. doi:10.5115/acb.2018.51.2.85The Lung Association.How your lungs work.Medline Plus.Lung disease.Enilari O, Sinha S.The global impact of asthma in adult populations.Ann Glob Health. 2019;85(1):2. Published 2019 Jan 22. doi:10.5334/aogh.2412Martin J, Townshend J, Brodlie M.Diagnosis and management of asthma in children.BMJ Paediatr Open. 2022;6(1):e001277. doi:10.1136/bmjpo-2021-001277NIH U.S. National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference.Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.American Lung Association.Learn about sarcoidosis.Hoeper MM, Ghofrani HA, Grünig E, Klose H, Olschewski H, Rosenkranz S.Pulmonary hypertension.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2017;114(5):73-84. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2017.0073Bĕlohlávek J, Dytrych V, Linhart A.Pulmonary embolism, part I: Epidemiology, risk factors and risk stratification, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis and nonthrombotic pulmonary embolism.Exp Clin Cardiol. 2013;18(2):129-38.American Lung Association.Lung capacity and aging.MedlinePlus.Lung function tests.
17 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Cancer Institute SEER Training Modules.Anatomy of the lung.Kids Health from Nemours.Your lungs & respiratory system.Teach Me Anatomy.The lungs.Chaudhry R, Bordoni B.Anatomy, thorax, lungs.StatPearls.Poe E, Granite G.Anatomical lung variations: A study conducted on cadaveric specimens.International Journal of Anatomical Variations.George BM, Nayak SB, Marpalli S.Morphological variations of the lungs: a study conducted on Indian cadavers.Anat Cell Biol. 2014;47(4):253-258. doi:10.5115/acb.2014.47.4.253Kc S, Shrestha P, Shah AK, Jha AK.Variations in human pulmonary fissures and lobes: a study conducted in Nepalese cadavers.Anat Cell Biol. 2018;51(2):85-92. doi:10.5115/acb.2018.51.2.85The Lung Association.How your lungs work.Medline Plus.Lung disease.Enilari O, Sinha S.The global impact of asthma in adult populations.Ann Glob Health. 2019;85(1):2. Published 2019 Jan 22. doi:10.5334/aogh.2412Martin J, Townshend J, Brodlie M.Diagnosis and management of asthma in children.BMJ Paediatr Open. 2022;6(1):e001277. doi:10.1136/bmjpo-2021-001277NIH U.S. National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference.Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.American Lung Association.Learn about sarcoidosis.Hoeper MM, Ghofrani HA, Grünig E, Klose H, Olschewski H, Rosenkranz S.Pulmonary hypertension.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2017;114(5):73-84. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2017.0073Bĕlohlávek J, Dytrych V, Linhart A.Pulmonary embolism, part I: Epidemiology, risk factors and risk stratification, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis and nonthrombotic pulmonary embolism.Exp Clin Cardiol. 2013;18(2):129-38.American Lung Association.Lung capacity and aging.MedlinePlus.Lung function tests.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Cancer Institute SEER Training Modules.Anatomy of the lung.Kids Health from Nemours.Your lungs & respiratory system.Teach Me Anatomy.The lungs.Chaudhry R, Bordoni B.Anatomy, thorax, lungs.StatPearls.Poe E, Granite G.Anatomical lung variations: A study conducted on cadaveric specimens.International Journal of Anatomical Variations.George BM, Nayak SB, Marpalli S.Morphological variations of the lungs: a study conducted on Indian cadavers.Anat Cell Biol. 2014;47(4):253-258. doi:10.5115/acb.2014.47.4.253Kc S, Shrestha P, Shah AK, Jha AK.Variations in human pulmonary fissures and lobes: a study conducted in Nepalese cadavers.Anat Cell Biol. 2018;51(2):85-92. doi:10.5115/acb.2018.51.2.85The Lung Association.How your lungs work.Medline Plus.Lung disease.Enilari O, Sinha S.The global impact of asthma in adult populations.Ann Glob Health. 2019;85(1):2. Published 2019 Jan 22. doi:10.5334/aogh.2412Martin J, Townshend J, Brodlie M.Diagnosis and management of asthma in children.BMJ Paediatr Open. 2022;6(1):e001277. doi:10.1136/bmjpo-2021-001277NIH U.S. National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference.Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.American Lung Association.Learn about sarcoidosis.Hoeper MM, Ghofrani HA, Grünig E, Klose H, Olschewski H, Rosenkranz S.Pulmonary hypertension.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2017;114(5):73-84. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2017.0073Bĕlohlávek J, Dytrych V, Linhart A.Pulmonary embolism, part I: Epidemiology, risk factors and risk stratification, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis and nonthrombotic pulmonary embolism.Exp Clin Cardiol. 2013;18(2):129-38.American Lung Association.Lung capacity and aging.MedlinePlus.Lung function tests.
National Cancer Institute SEER Training Modules.Anatomy of the lung.
Kids Health from Nemours.Your lungs & respiratory system.
Teach Me Anatomy.The lungs.
Chaudhry R, Bordoni B.Anatomy, thorax, lungs.StatPearls.
Poe E, Granite G.Anatomical lung variations: A study conducted on cadaveric specimens.International Journal of Anatomical Variations.
George BM, Nayak SB, Marpalli S.Morphological variations of the lungs: a study conducted on Indian cadavers.Anat Cell Biol. 2014;47(4):253-258. doi:10.5115/acb.2014.47.4.253
Kc S, Shrestha P, Shah AK, Jha AK.Variations in human pulmonary fissures and lobes: a study conducted in Nepalese cadavers.Anat Cell Biol. 2018;51(2):85-92. doi:10.5115/acb.2018.51.2.85
The Lung Association.How your lungs work.
Medline Plus.Lung disease.
Enilari O, Sinha S.The global impact of asthma in adult populations.Ann Glob Health. 2019;85(1):2. Published 2019 Jan 22. doi:10.5334/aogh.2412
Martin J, Townshend J, Brodlie M.Diagnosis and management of asthma in children.BMJ Paediatr Open. 2022;6(1):e001277. doi:10.1136/bmjpo-2021-001277
NIH U.S. National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference.Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
American Lung Association.Learn about sarcoidosis.
Hoeper MM, Ghofrani HA, Grünig E, Klose H, Olschewski H, Rosenkranz S.Pulmonary hypertension.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2017;114(5):73-84. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2017.0073
Bĕlohlávek J, Dytrych V, Linhart A.Pulmonary embolism, part I: Epidemiology, risk factors and risk stratification, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis and nonthrombotic pulmonary embolism.Exp Clin Cardiol. 2013;18(2):129-38.
American Lung Association.Lung capacity and aging.
MedlinePlus.Lung function tests.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
