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Pulmonary Information

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The left lung is smaller than the right to allow the heart to fit between them.

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You need your lungs to talk and sing! The vibrations in the vocal cords produce speech the best when air is moving out of the lungs.

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Your lungs, like your nose and stomach, produce mucus to protect and defend the body from danger! 

Background:

The Pulmonary System’s main function is to regulate gas exchange, ensuring that the body gets enough oxygen from the air outside and gets rid of the carbon dioxide that is created as a waste product by the body’s cells. It does this by working very closely with the cardiovascular system. The organs of the pulmonary system include the airways (nose, mouth, larynx, pharynx, and trachea), lungs (lung tissue, bronchi, bronchioles, and alveoli), and breathing muscles (diaphragm, intercostals, sternocleidomastoid, and scalenes).  

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The pulmonary system delivers oxygen into the body via inhalation and expels carbon dioxide via exhalation. This occurs through the following steps: 

  1. The diaphragm and the muscles between the ribs (also called the intercostal muscles) contract,  and expanding the rib cage.  

  2. Expansion of the rib cage causes air to be drawn into the body through the nose or mouth.  

  3. Air then travels to the lungs by going down the windpipe (trachea), and the increasingly smaller air passages until it reaches the air sacs (alveoli).  

  4. When air fills the air sacs, the lungs expand, and gas exchange begins to occur (oxygen is picked up by the blood and carbon dioxide is released into the alveolar sacs.  

  5. Once gas exchange is finished, the diaphragm and other breathing muscles relax and cause the rib cage to become smaller, creating a positive pressure gradient (more pressure inside the lungs than outside the body). 

  6. The positive pressure gradient causes air to be pushed out of the body, which is the process of breathing out. 

  7. After air is pushed out, the entire process can begin again.  

 

Typically, people take between 12-20 breaths a minute. Breathing at a regular rate is important to ensure that all the cells in the body are supplied with enough oxygen so that they can continue to function.

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Pulmonary Anatomy:

Structures of the Respiratory System: 

  • Nasal or Oral cavity: the hollow space inside of the nose and mouth  

  • Pharynx: also known as the throat; is the space behind the nasal and oral cavity and before the larynx  

  • Larynx: also known as the ”voice box”; is a hollow passage below the pharynx that holds the vocal cords 

  • Trachea: also known as the “windpipe”; is a long, cartilage reinforced tube that brings air to the lungs  

  • Bronchi: two tubes that split off the trachea and carry air to the left and right lungs

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(Image retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB7uA5o0mS4)

  • Bronchioles: smaller air passages that branch off the bronchi  

  • Alveolar ducts: are the smallest air passages that branch off respiratory bronchioles 

  • Alveolar sacs: small air sacs that attach to the alveolar ducts and are the site of gas exchange 

The lungs are made up of five lobes. The right lung has three lobes: the inferior (lower), middle, and superior (uppermost) lobes. The left lung has two lobes: the inferior (lower) and superior (upper) lobes. The left lung is smaller and has fewer lobes because it shares its space in the thoracic (chest) cavity with the heart.

In addition to the airways and lungs, the pulmonary system also consists of other supporting structures. The diaphragm and the intercostal (between ribs), sternocleidomastoid (muscles that connect the chest bone, collarbone, and temple of the head), and scalene muscles help expand the rib cage during inhalation and return the rib cage back to normal size during exhalation. These muscles attach to the rib cage, which surrounds the lungs. As the muscles contract, they pull the ribs out, giving the lungs space to expand during inhalation.

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(Image retrieved from https://medictests.com/units/the-lungs-and-pulmonary-capillaries)

Pulmonary Disease:

One form of lung disease is called Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, commonly abbreviated as COPD. COPD affects millions of people in the United States. In “obstructive” lung diseases such as COPD, airflow into and out of the lungs is blocked, reducing the amount of oxygen that reaches the tissues. One form of COPD is asthma, where the branches within the lungs (bronchi) shrink, reducing airflow. COPD can be triggered by allergies and irritants, like pollen or cigarette smoke.  

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Smoking damages the lung’s ability to inflate during inhalation and to recoil during exhalation.  The smoke also damages the lung tissue because of the heat and chemicals in the smoke, which can cause severe problems in breathing. Also, some of the chemicals are carcinogens, meaning they can cause the tissue to become cancerous. To learn more about COPD and smoking, check out the following links: 

Developments:

To learn more about new advances in Pulmonary medicine, check out these links:

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