LUNGS : THE BREATH OF LIFE

LUNGS

"Is he breathing?" This is almost the very first question you ak when you fear the worst has happened and that a person may be dead. Spontaneous breathing is one of the most easily recognised signs of life. It is also the first act of the newborn; and it is a huge effort too, to take the first breath. But once taken, the process continues non-stop and rhythmically, till death. And our hardworking lungs are the organs we must thank for every breath we take whether awake or asleep.

  ANATOMY

• The respiratory system consists of the airways, the lungs, and the respiratory muscles that facilitate the movement of air into and out of the body.
• Humans have two lungs-- the right lung and the slightly smaller, left lung. These fill up most of the chest cavity. 
• The bony structure of the rib cage protects them from injury. 
• The lungs extend from just above the first rib down to the diaphragm, which is the muscular sheet separating the chest cavity from the abdomen.
• The lungs are spongy in texture.
• The trachea or windpipe carries the air towards the lungs.
• It divides into two just before reaching the lungs. This gives rise to the two primary bronchi, each of which enters one lung.
• within the lungs , bronchi divided into smaller tubes bronchioles. These are made up of alveolar sacs.
• Each sac contains about 20 tiny alveoli.
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