[Biology Class Notes] on Facts About Lungs Pdf for EXAM

Lungs are one of the most vital organs, not only in the human body but in every mammal. A crucial part of your Biology curriculum, read this article to learn about the important facts of lungs and related ailments.

Lungs are of central importance in the human respiratory system. It enables gaseous exchange between both inhaled and exhaled air with that of blood. 

Respiratory system facts indicate that the system as a whole and the lungs in particular

help to allow the oxygen present in the air to be taken within the body. It also releases waste of carbon dioxide into the air.

Parts of Lungs 

Let us take a look at the structure of this organ before we move on to know more about

lungs. 

Lungs are a pair of air-filled spongy organs that are located on both sides of the chest. The windpipe or trachea passes inhaled oxygen to lungs through fine tubular branches which are called bronchi. 

The bronchioles end in minuscule air sacs known as alveoli. Inhaled oxygen undergoes absorption into the blood within the alveoli. 

Lungs are also covered by a fine layer of tissue called pleura. It primarily acts as a

lubricant for the extraction and contraction of lungs with every single breath.

 

Functions of Lungs

Apart from enabling breathing, lungs perform other functions such as –

1. Lungs engage in filtering small blood clots and air bubbles.

2.  It can act as a shock absorber for a heart in instances of mild collision.  

3. The mucus that covers respiratory passages helps in trapping bacteria and dust particles.

4. Lungs also act as blood reservoirs which may vary from 500 ml to 1000 ml.

5. Airflow through the lungs enables speech.

Diseases of Lungs

1. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): A patient suffering from COPD experiences difficulty in exhaling, leading to shortness of

breath. The major cause of COPD has been found to be smoking. 

2. Chronic Bronchitis: It involves frequent coughing with difficulty in breathing. Chronic Bronchitis is

a variant of COPD. 

3. Asthma : Asthma may be triggered by air pollution, viral infections and allergies. It causes wheezing, shortness of breath, spasm and inflammation of the bronchi. 

4. Pneumonia : Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria cause infection in the lungs.

5. Pleurisy : Pleurisy causes inflammation of the pleura, causing difficulty in inhalation. 

6. Tuberculosis : Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes pneumonia to progress. Symptoms of tuberculosis include weight loss, fever, cough and night sweats, among others.  

Importance of Lungs

• Lungs are an important organ in our bodies that help us breathe

• The air that we breathe in contains oxygen and we need it to survive

• Lungs help in filtering out carbon dioxide from the body

• Lungs also filter small blood clots

• They can act as a shock absorber for the heart when it comes to collisions

• They help in clearing mucus

• They help humans speak

How to Prepare Notes on Lungs in Biology?

Students of Biology can read and prepare for Biology from ’s online tutoring platform.  They can scan this note and then write down all the concepts in a sequential manner. They can take brief notes of what’s on the page and then write them as per their own understanding of the topics.

They can use bullet points, illustrations and coloured pens to mark key portions as highlighting the important parts makes it easier to go through them at the time of revision. They can then compare whatever they have jotted with what’s actually on the page for an overall analysis.

Did You Know?

One of the amazing fact about the respiratory system is that human lungs are not of

the same size. The right lung is larger than their left lung as this latter has to accommodate the heart.

Test Your Knowledge

I. Gaseous exchange between blood and inhaled air is known as –

(a) Circulatory respiration 

(b) Internal respiration 

(c) External respiration 

(d) Cellular respiration 

ii. Which of the following relates to a maximum volume of air that may be inhaled into the lungs with full force intake?

(a) Inspiratory capacity 

(b) Total lung capacity

(c) Tidal volume 

(d) Vital capacity 

Solutions: i. (c) External respiration, ii. (d) Vital capacity 

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