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Lung

Adapted from Wikipedia · Explorer experience

Illustration showing the human heart and lungs, important organs that help keep our body alive.

Lungs

Lungs are special organs that help us breathe. They are found in many animals, including humans. In humans, we have two lungs—a right lung and a left lung. The right lung is bigger because the left lung shares space with the heart.

Lungs sit inside the chest, on either side of the heart, protected by the rib cage. They have a cone shape, with a rounded top and a wide, flat bottom. Each lung is made up of sections called lobes. The right lung has three lobes, and the left lung has two.

The main job of lungs is to take in oxygen from the air we breathe and put it into our blood. They also let out carbon dioxide, a waste gas, from our blood into the air. This process happens in tiny air sacs called alveoli, where oxygen enters the blood and carbon dioxide is released.

Lungs start to form very early in a baby’s life, even before they are born. When a baby takes their first breath after birth, the lungs begin to work. They help us breathe for our whole lives.

Lungs are important because they give our bodies the energy they need. Keeping them healthy is very important!

Images

A 3D animation showing how the airways in your lungs connect to tiny air sacs called alveoli.
A detailed CT scan image showing a cross-section of the chest, highlighting the lungs and surrounding structures.
A close-up view of elastic fibers in human lung tissue, showing the intricate structure of the body's respiratory system.
A close-up view of collagen fibers in lung tissue, showing the building blocks of connective tissue.
Illustration showing the structure of a lung's secondary pulmonary lobule and its surrounding tissues.
A 3D medical image showing the inside of the chest, with blood vessels clearly visible, helping to learn about human anatomy.
Diagram showing how the rib cage expands during inhalation.
Diagram showing the bronchi and lungs, part of the respiratory system
Anatomy diagram showing the mediastinal surface of the left lung, helpful for learning about respiratory system structure.
Anatomy diagram showing the mediastinal surface of the right lung, from Gray's Anatomy.
Diagram showing the structure and location of the lungs and airways in the human body, including parts like bronchioles, alveoli, and capillaries.
Scientific illustration showing the development of human embryo lungs, from a classic anatomy reference.

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Lung, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Images from Wikimedia Commons. Tap any image to view credits and license.