Anatomy of the Lung Health Article

The lungs are part of your body’s system for breathing, called the respiratory system. Your lungs are spongy organs shaped like cones. They’re located in your chest. The left and right lungs are similar, but the right lung is a little bit bigger and has three sections, called lobes. The left lung has just two lobes.

When you breathe, air comes in and out of your nose. The air travels down your windpipe, called the trachea. Your trachea splits into two tubes, called the right and left mainstem bronchi. The bronchi carry the air into each of your lungs. The bronchi are divided into small tubes called bronchioles. At the end of each bronchiole are air sacs called alveoli. These small air sacs exchange oxygen for carbon dioxide every time you breathe in or out. Your lungs get oxygen when you take a breath, or inhale. When you breathe out, or exhale, your lungs get rid of the carbon dioxide.