Answer the following questions about our lungs.
1
Our two lungs are the same size.
2
How many litres of air do we breathe in one day?
3
As we age our lungs hold less air.
4
The work of breathing is done by the ... (image by vecteezy)
5
Our breathing is controlled by our ...
6
These are the lungs’ first line of defense against toxins:
7
Pneumonia is an infection that fills your lungs with:
8
You get asthma and bronchitis in your:
9
Lungs are surrounded by ...
10
How many times do we breathe a day ...
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The right lung is shorter than the left lung to make room for the liver. The left lung is narrower than the right to make room for the heart.
That air puts much-needed oxygen into your bloodstream. If you stop breathing for longer than 4 minutes, it can permanently damage your organs.
Your lungs are at their peak when you’re in your 20s to mid 30s. After that, your diaphragm gets weaker and your lung tissue can’t stretch as well.
The diaphragm is a wall of muscle just below your lungs. It separates your chest from your abdomen. When you breathe in, it pushes downward, letting air into your lungs. When you breathe out, it pushes upward, helping you release carbon dioxide.
An area in your brain tells your body when to breathe. It sends signals to your muscles and lungs. If your brain doesn’t send the right signals, you can stop breathing. If this happens to you regularly while you sleep, you may have a condition called central sleep apnea.
When your lungs breathe in air, they also pull in germs and dirt that cling to mucus lining your airways. Tiny hairs, called cilia, wave around to bring the mucus up so you can cough it out or swallow it. If your lungs are facing a bigger threat, like an infection, white blood cells get into the fight.
Pneumonia makes it hard for your lungs to get oxygen to your blood. This can keep your cells from getting what they need to work like they’re supposed to. About a third of the time, the infection is caused by a virus. But bacteria and fungi also can cause it. Most people get over it in a few weeks, but it can be life-threatening for babies, young children, adults over 65, and anyone with a serious health problem or a weak immune system.
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