Know your Body – Lungs

LUNGS

What’s something that you do all day, every day, no matter where you are or who you’re with?

Breathing air is necessary for keeping humans alive.

What are the two parts that are large and in charge when it comes to breathing? If you guessed your lungs, you’re right! our lungs make up one of the largest organs in our body, and they work with our respiratory system to allow us to take in the fresh air, get rid of stale air, and even talk. Let’s take a tour of the lungs!

We have to breathe all the time to supply our bodies with oxygen and get rid of carbon dioxide. We use our lungs to do this. Air from our mouth and nose enters your windpipe, which goes down the throat into your chest. Then it splits into two passages – one for each lung.

Oxygen helps your cells get their energy from food. They would die within minutes if you stopped breathing. Trees help to clean the air by filtering out pollution. They also make oxygen, which they release through their leaves. Breathing heavily gives your body extra oxygen so it can work harder. You feel puffed out and pant when your lungs can’t supply your body with oxygen quickly enough.

People can spend a few moments underwater without breathing. Most people can manage about a minute, but the world record is about 17 minutes. Have you noticed that when you breathe onto a window or a mirror it becomes wet? That’s because the air you breathe out is slightly damp.

Exercise is good for every part of your body, and especially for your lungs and heart.

Your lungs are full of tunnels ending in tiny air sacs called alveoli. Here, oxygen from the air passes into your blood. Your blood carries oxygen around every part of your body.

Believe it or not, you take about 23,000 breaths each day.