Lungs are a set of saclike, spongy organs that are found in many organisms. Lungs are located near the heart. They help you breath by exchanging the carbon dioxide in your blood to oxygen.
Lungs are connected to other parts of the body in order to function. These parts include the nasal cavity, the pharynx, larynx, trachea, alveoli, diaphragm, the heart, and many more.
The nasal cavity is a passage from the nose to the back of the throat.
The pharynx is space located behind the mouth in which food and air are transferred to the larynx.
The larynx is part of the throat which enables you to breath, swallow, and talk.
The trachea, also known as the windpipe, is a tube that carries air to the lungs.
The alveoli are tiny air sacs from which gases are exchanged. The diaphragm is the muscle between the abdomen and the chest.
The heart is a that pumps blood throughout the body.
The procedure of breathing in is called inhaling. To inhale, you first breath in through your nose or mouth. Then, the oxygen is transported to the larynx. After, the oxygen goes through the trachea which splits into two smaller tubes called the bronchial tubes. These bronchial tubes split into smaller tubes repeatedly until finally, the air reaches the lungs. For exhaling, breathing out, the opposite happens.
Lung function is the amount of air your lugs can take up. So basically your lung capacity. Lung function can be high or low due to health conditions, weight, age, or even the temperature. Smokers and asthmatics usually have a lower lung capacity/function. Height also affects lung function. So a tall person will have a higher lung function and a shorter person will have a lower lung function.
To measure lung function, doctors, asthmatics, and many people use a device called a peak flow meter. A peak flow meter is an instrument used to measure lung capacity. The peak flow meter, or spirometer. The unit used for a peak flow meter is liters per minute or L/min. To use the device, all you do is blow as hard and quick as you can. For the measurement to be accurate, take a deep breath before blowing and make sure the marker is at zero.
The spirometer/peak flow meter was invented by a bioengineer, Basil Martin Wright. He invented the peak flow meter as well as many other medical instruments. In 1949, Mr. Wright joined a Medical Research Council. The equipment was not suitable for the job so Mr. Wright became the Council’s inventor. At that particular time, there was no easy way to measure a person’s lung capacity. This was when the peak flow meter was invented. Mr. Wright did not invent the peak flow meter we use today. In fact, we are using a miniature version of the original peak flow meter. The quality of both are equal.
Many lung diseases affect humans and their breathing. These include : asthma, emphysema, and lung cancer.
Asthma is a disease that makes breathing difficult. An asthmatic (a person who has asthma) has extra sensitive airways. These airways react by narrowing or obstructing air from coming in. The airways react like mentioned because the airways become red, swollen, painful, and narrow (airway inflammation) and the muscles tighten or go into spasm (bronchoconstriction). Asthma is triggered by many things.These include : cold air, dust, strong odors or fumes, emotional upsets, and smoke. Asthma can develop at any age, but usually during childhood. A quarter of an asthmatic’s absence in school or work is due to asthma. In Canada, 20 children and 500 adults die every year due to asthma.
Emphysema is a disease in which the air sacs of the lungs are damaged or enlarged. When the air sacs are damaged or enlarged, the elasticity of the sacs and the walls of the airways are damaged. People who have emphysema have to forcefully blow all the air out of the lungs. This empties the lungs. This puts pressure on the air sacs and causes them to collapse. A lot of coughing could also cause the airways to break down.
Lung cancer, like other types of cancer, is the growth of abnormal cells in the lung tissue. Symptoms of lung cancer can include a long lasting cough, chest pain, or shortness of breath. Approximately, 163,510 people are going to die in the future due to this terrible disease. Lung cancer one of the most deathly and common diseases in the United States of America (USA).