Your lungs can breathe in and out as much as 36,000 times a day without you even having to think about it. Isn't it about time you reflected on all the hard work they do? We take a closer look at the inner workings of your lungs.
How Lungs Work - A Little Gas Goes a Long Way 1b3i4s
Very simply, the function of the lungs is to absorb oxygen, a gas that your body needs to function, and expel carbon dioxide, a "waste gas" that your body can't use (no, not higher-pressure environment. The air flows from your nose and mouth, through your trachea (windpipe) and into your lungs.
How Lungs Work - The Big Trade Off 6x474e
Once the circulated around your body.
How Lungs Work - Did U Know? b5w5e
- When removed for transplant, the lungs can survive outside the body longer than any other organ.
- The left lung is smaller than the right lung to make room for the heart.
- About 10,000 quarts (9,464 liters) of air go through your lungs every day.
- The total surface area of the alveoli is around the size of a tennis court.
- New babies at rest breathe between 40 and 50 times per minute but by the time they're five years old, their breathing rate decreases to around 25 times per minute.
