LUNGS

 The lungs are a pair of respiratory organs situated in the thoracic cavity.
 The right and left lungs are separated by the mediastinum.

 The lungs are spongy in texture. In the young, the lungs are brown or grey in
colour. Gradually, they become mottled black because of the deposition of inhaled
carbon particles.
 The right lung weighs about 700 g; it is about 50-100 g heavier than the left lung.

FEATURES
 Each lung is conical in shape.

 It has:

(1) an apex at the upper end

(2) a base resting on the diaphragm
(3) three borders, i.e. anterior, posterior and inferior; and
(4) two surfaces, i.e. costal and medial. The medial surface is divided into vertebral and
mediastinal parts.

APEX
 The apex is blunt and lies above the level of the anterior end of the first rib.
  It reaches nearly 2.5 cm above the medial one-third of the clavicle.
 It is covered by the cervical pleura and by the suprapleural membrane, and is
grooved by the subclavian artery on the medial side and in front.

BASE
 The base is semilunar and concave.
 It rests on the diaphragm which separates the right lung from the right lobe of the
liver, and the left lung from the left lobe of the liver, the fundus of the stomach, and
the spleen.

BORDERS
ANTERIOR BORDER
  It is very thin.
 It is shorter than the posterior border.
 On the right side it is vertical.
 The anterior border of the left lung shows a wide cardiac notch below the level of
the fourth costal cartilage. The heart and pericardium are uncovered by the lung in
the region of this notch.

POSTERIOR BORDER
 It is thick and ill defined.
 It corresponds to the medial margins of the heads of the ribs.
 It extends from the level of the seventh cervical spine to the tenth thoracic spine.
INFERIOR BORDER
 The inferior border separates the base from the costal and medial surfaces.
SURFACES
 Each lung has two surfaces, i. e. costal and medial.
 The medial surface is divided into vertebral and mediastinal parts.
COSTAL SURFACE
 The costal surface is large and convex. It is in contact with the costal pleura and
the overlying thoracic wall.

MEDIAL SURFACE
 The medial surface is divided into a posterior vertebral part, and an anterior or
mediastinal part.

 The vertebral part is related to the vertebral bodies, intervertebral discs, the
 posterior intercostal vessels and the splanchnic nerves.
 The mediastinal part is related to the mediastinal septum, and shows cardiac
impression, the hilum and a number of other impressions which differ on the two
sides.
 Structures related to the mediastinal surfaces of the right and left lungs
RIGHT LUNG LEFT LUNG
1) Right atrium and Left Left ventricle, left auricle,
ventricle, left auricle infundibulum and adjoining part of
the right ventricle
2) A small part of the right Pulmonary trunk
ventricle
3) Superior vena cava Arch of aorta
4) Lower part of the right Descending thoracic aorta
brachiocephalic vein
5) Azygos vein Left subclavian artery
6) Oesophagus Thoracic duct
7) Inferior vena cava Oesophagus
8) Trachea Left brachiocephalic vein
9) Right vagus nerve Left vagus nerve
10) Right phrenic nerve Left phrenic nerve
11) Left recurrent laryngeal nerve
Fissures and Lobes of the Lungs
 The right lung is divided into 3 lobes (upper, middle and lower) by two fissures,
oblique and horizontal.
 In the right lung, the horizontal fissure passes from the anterior border up to the
oblique fissure and separates a wedge-shaped middle lobe from the upper lobe.
 The oblique fissure cuts into the whole thickness of the lung, except at the hilum. It
passes obliquely downwards and forwards, crossing the posterior border about 6
cm below the apex and the inferior border about 5 cm from the median plane.
 The horizontal fissure passes from the anterior border up to the oblique fissure
and separates a wedge-shaped middle lobe from the upper lobe.
 The left lung is divided into two lobes by the oblique fissure.
 The tongue-shaped projection of the left lung below the cardiac notch is called the
lingula. It corresponds to the middle lobe of the right lung. (The number of lobes
may vary in either lung. The right lung may have only two lobes, upper and lower
and the left lung may have three lobes).
Root of the Lung
 Root of the lung is a short, broad pedicle which connects the medial surface of the
lung to the mediastinum.
 It is formed by structures which either enter or come out of the lung at the hilum.

 The roots of the lungs lie opposite the bodies of the fifth, sixth and seventh
thoracic vertebrae.
 Contents The root is made up of the following structures:

o 1.Principal bronchus on the left side, and eparterial and hyparterial bronchi on right
side.
o 2.One pulmonary artery.
o 3.Two pulmonary veins, superior and inferior.
o 4.Bronchial arteries, one on the right side and two on the left side.
o 5.Bronchial veins.
o 6.Anterior and posterior pulmonary plexuses of nerves.
o 7.Lymphatics of the lung.
 o 8.Bronchopulmonary lymph nodes.
o 9.Areolar tissue.
Arrangement of Structures in the Root
A. From before backwards. It is similar on the two sides:
o 1.Pulmonary vein
o 2.Pulmonary artery
o 3.Bronchus
B. From above downwards.It is different on the two sides.
Right side
o 1.Eparterial bronchus
o 2.Pulmonary artery
o 3.Hyparterial bronchus
o 4.Inferior pulmonary vein

Left side
o 1.Pulmonary artery
o 2.Bronchus
 o 3.Inferior pulmonary vein

Relations of the Root

Anterior
a. Common on the two sides
o 1.Phrenic nerve
o 2.Pericardiophrenic vessels
o 3.Anterior pulmonary plexus
b. On the right side
o 1.Superior vena cava
o 2.A part of the right atrium Posterior
a. Common on the two sides
o 1.Vagus nerve
o 2.Posterior pulmonary plexus
b. On left side
1. Descending thoracic aorta
Superior
a. On right side
o Terminal part of azygos vein
o On left side Arch of the aorta
D. Inferior
o Pulmonary ligament.
Differences between the left and right lungs
Right lung Left lung
1. It has 2 fissures and 3 lobes 1. It has only one fissure and 2 lobes
 2. Anterior border is straight 2. Anterior border is interrupted by the
cardiac notch.
3.Larger and heavier weighs about 700 g 3. Smaller and lighter weighs about 600
g
4.Shorter and broader 4. Longer and narrower
Arterial Supply of the Lungs
 The bronchial arteries supply nutrition to the bronchial tree and to the pulmonary
tissue. These are small arteries that vary in number, size and origin.
(1) On the right side there is one bronchial artery.
(2) On the left side there are two bronchial arteries.
 Deoxygenated blood is brought to the lungs by the pulmonary arteries and
oxygenated blood is returned to the heart by the pulmonary veins.
Venous Drainage of the Lungs
 The venous blood from the first one or two divisions of the bronchi is carried by
bronchial veins. Usually there are two bronchial veins on each side.
 The greater part of the venous blood from the lungs is drained by the pulmonary
veins.
Lymphatic Drainage of the Lungs
 There are two sets of lymphatics, both of which drain into the bronchopulmonary
nodes. 1.Superficial vessels drain the peripheral lung tissue lying beneath the
pulmonary pleura.
2.Deep lymphatics drain the bronchial tree, the pulmonary vessels and the connective
tissue septa.
Nerve Supply
 1.Parasympathetic nerves are derived from the vagus.

 2.Sympathetic nerves are derived from second to fifth spinal segments.