A human being cannot survive for long without oxygen, it is an essential element and without it we cannot endure. We get this miracle element into our bloodstreams through our lungs, an organ crucial for ensuring a continuous supply of oxygen to our bodies.. It does pose the interesting question of what are the lungs actually and how do they function?
The lungs have the simple function of getting oxygen in and carbon dioxide out, a task carried out 24/7 with no breaks. From the moment you are born until the day you die, your lungs work every second. In fact everyday, we breathe in roughly 11,000 litres of air everyday and take around 22,000 breaths7. Not to mention the organ itself has strange quirks of its own; for one the left lung and the right lung are not exactly the same. The left lung is divided into 2 lobes and the right one is split into 3 to guarantee space for the heart6! Furthermore the organ contains 2400 km of airways and is the only body part that can float7,9. It’s evident that the lungs are a mystical structure working tirelessly but how does oxygen actually get into the body through them?
When breathing in, oxygen-rich air enters the body, travels through the bronchi and finally reaches the alveoli. With each air sac encompassed in a network of blood vessels called the capillaries. The air is passed through the lining of the air sacs, where only oxygen is picked up via the red blood cells because of a special protein and a difference in oxygen levels in between the lungs and the blood vessels. This very oxygen then travels throughout the body to reach every cell, while carbon dioxide is exchanged when oxygen is delivered. This deoxygenated blood is carried back to the lungs so the carbon dioxide can pass into the air sacs and be exhaled out of the body4. This process happens more than thousands of times every single day.
With all that work, your lungs are bound to get exhausted at some point right? Muscles weaken as you age, including the diaphragm, which is in charge of controlling one’s breathing1. Lifestyle plays a major role in a person’s lung health; smokers have reduced lung capacity and are more prone to infections than non-smokers2,3. With rates of respiratory disease such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) increasing and predicted to grow further8. It is imperative to take care of your lungs by exercising, quitting smoking and living an overall healthy lifestyle and getting frequent checkups5.
The lungs are one of the most important parts of the body that we take for granted. Each breath we take is possible due to the wondrous organ that is the lung.. Take care of them and get screened today.
References:
1American Lung Association. (2024). Lung capacity and aging | American lung association. In Lung.org. https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/how-lungs-work/lung-capacity-and-aging
2Arcavi, L., & Benowitz, N. L. (2004). Cigarette smoking and infection. Archives of Internal Medicine, 164(20), 2206–2216. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.164.20.2206
3Holmen, T. L., Barrett-Connor, E., Clausen, J., Holmen, J., & Bjermer, L. (2002). Physical exercise, sports, and lung function in smoking versus non smoking adolescents. European Respiratory Journal, 19(1), 8–15. https://doi.org/10.1183/09031936.02.00203502
4Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care. (2016). How do lungs work? In Nih.gov. Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK401240/
5National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. (2022a). How the lungs work - how to keep your lungs healthy | nhlbi, NIH. In www.nhlbi.nih.gov. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/lungs/lung-health
6National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. (2022b). How the lungs work - the respiratory system . In www.nhlbi.nih.gov. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/lungs/respiratory-system
7Pulmonary Associates. (2017). Lung facts. In Pulmonary Associates of Brandon. https://floridachest.com/pulmonary-blog/lung-facts
8Wang, Y., Han, R., Ding, X., Feng, W., Gao, R., & Ma, A. (2025). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease across three decades: Trends, inequalities, and projections from the global burden of disease study 2021. Frontiers in Medicine, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2025.1564878
9Wellness, H., Training, E., Diseases, L. H., & Science. (2017). How your lungs get the job done. In www.lung.org. https://www.lung.org/blog/how-your-lungs-work