Human Anatomy: The Lungs

What lies immediately adjacent to the ribs and intercostal spaces of the thoracic wall?

Which fissure separates the upper and middle lobes of the right lung?

Which surface of the lung lies against the mediastinum anteriorly?

How many lobes does the right lung have?

Where does the apex of the lung project above?

Which border of the lung separates the base from the costal surface?

What structure is labeled at the topmost point of the lungs?

Which of the following separates the costal surface from the medial surface?

Where are the pulmonary veins located in the diagram?

What does the base (diaphragmatic surface) of the lung relate to?

What significant change occurs to the lungs with age?

What happens to the lungs if the thoracic cavity is opened?

Which structure suspends each lung in its own pleural cavity?

What distinguishes the child's lungs from an adult's lungs?

By what are the right and left lungs separated from each other?

Lungs

Lungs are soft, spongy, and elastic and would shrink to one-third or less in volume if the thoracic cavity were opened.
Lungs are pink in children, but become dark and mottled with age due to the inhalation of dust particles that become trapped in the phagocytes of the lung.

Location and Structure

The lungs are separated from each other by the heart and great vessels in the mediastinum.
Each lung is conical, covered with visceral pleura, and suspended free in its own pleural cavity, attached to the mediastinum only by its root.

Borders

The lungs have three borders: inferior, anterior, and posterior.
The inferior border separates the base from the costal surface.
The anterior border separates the costal surface from the medial surface.
The posterior border separates the costal surface from the medial surface.

Parts of the Lung

Each lung has a half-cone shape, with a base, apex, two surfaces, and three borders.
The base sits on the diaphragm.
The apex projects above rib I and into the root of the neck.
The two surfaces are the costal surface and mediastinal surface.
The costal surface lies adjacent to the ribs and intercostal spaces of the thoracic wall.
The mediastinal surface lies against the mediastinum anteriorly and the vertebral column posteriorly and contains the comma-shaped hilum of the lung.

Lobes

The right lung has three lobes: upper, middle, and lower.
The left lung has two lobes: upper and lower.
The lobes are separated by the horizontal and oblique fissures.

Hilum

The hilum is the point where the bronchus, pulmonary artery, and pulmonary veins enter the lung.
Each lung has a hilum.

Learn about the structure and characteristics of the lungs, including their elasticity, color changes with age, and separate placement in the thoracic cavity.