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Lungs |
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The Lungs are the fundamental human respiratory organs. Humans consist of 2 Lungs of which the left is divided into 2 lobes and the right into 3 lobes. The Lungs contain nearly 300-50 million alveoli with a total surface area of about 75sqm in adults.
Lungs can further be classified as the conducting zone and the respiratory zone. The Conducting zone contains the Trachea, the bronchi, the bronchioles and the terminal bronchioles. The Respiratory zones are made up of, the respiratory bronchioles, the alveolar ducts and the alveoli.
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The conducting and the respiratory zones are made up of airways. The conducting zone is not responsible for any gas exchange and are supported by cartilage and smooth muscles. The respiratory zone is responsible for gas exchange with the blood.
The total Lung capacity depends upon an individual's age, height, weight and sex. It ranges from 4000-6000cucm. For Example females have a lesser capacity of 20-25% than that of males. People with good heights have a larger lung capacity to that of people with short height. People with smoking habits have lesser capacity than that of nonsmokers. Lung Capacity is also governed by the altitude. People living near the sea level amounts to a lower lung capacity than those living at an high altitude.
The respiratory rates of a resting adult is 10-20 breathes per minute with 1/3 of the breathe time in inspiration.
Human Lungs are “heavily built” and amounts to a tremendous reserve volume as compared to the oxygen exchange requirements when person's are at rest. The reason that individuals are able to smoke for years without showing any noticeable lung dis function is because of it's structure.
The functioning Human Lungs is at its peak hour during the late teens and early twenties. Its function subsequently decreases after the early twenties by 1% a year. Lung Function decreases by 2% a year for smokers. Human Lungs perform vital functions each day. Each day we breathe 23,000 breathes that brings in 10,000 quarter of air into our lungs. The air that we breathe in contains vital gases like oxygen that our cells need to function properly. While breathing our Lungs add fresh oxygen to our blood which is then carried over by blood to the cells. The main function performed by our Lungs is Respiration.
There are various diseases of the Lungs. Some of the common lung diseases are cited below:
- Mesothelioma and asbestosis: These are the diseases of the lungs and is caused due to the inhalation of asbestos.
- Pneumonia, Tuberculosis, cancer,cystic fibrosis, and emphysema: These are some common infectious diseases of the Lungs.
- Pulmonary embolism: this disease is caused due to sudden blockage of the lung artery.
- Silicosis: Its is a very serious and fatal Lung disease.
- Black lung disease: These kind of lung diseases are witnessed among coal miners.
Other than gas exchange the lungs along with other respiratory organs perform important activities related to breathing:
- It matches the air temperature with hat of the body temperature.
- Moistening the inhaled air for the requirement of necessary humidity.
- The body is being protected from harmful substances and is coughed or sneezed out.
- The presence of cilia,phlegm (mucus or sputum) and macrophages defend the Lungs from the invasion of foreign particles or germs.
For more information on Lungs and related topics log on to medicalzing.com.
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