The lungs are key to breathing.
The lung is the most important organ in the process that allows humans and animals that subsist on the earth's surface (that is, in a non-aquatic environment) to breathe. The etymological origin of the term is found in Latin, since it derives from the word pulmo . However, it should not be overlooked that this, in turn, comes from a Greek word pneumon , which came from pneuma (breath).
The lung, which is located inside the thorax , has the ability to compress and dilate according to the entry or exit of air. It is an organ that, therefore, has flexibility. Most vertebrates have two lungs, but there are certain species of reptiles that have only one lung.
Human lungs
In the specific case of humans, it is important to highlight that the size of the lungs is not identical in all people. The right lung is also larger than the left lung, since it shares its place in the rib cage with the heart. Both lungs are covered by the pleura (a membrane that provides protection) and separated from each other through a structure called the mediastinum .
These organs, on the other hand, are divided by fissures (two in the case of the right and one in the left lung) that allow us to distinguish between regions known as lobes .
Inside the lungs, the blood is oxygenated and releases carbon dioxide, a procedure that is carried out with the participation of air. The purpose of each lung is to carry out the exchange between the aforementioned gases and blood, in which the alveoli play a fundamental role.
Smoking damages the lung.
Their pathologies
There are various diseases that affect the lung. However, among the most common are pneumonia , lung cancer , asthma , respiratory failure , bronchitis and pulmonary embolism .
There are numerous causes that cause a person to suffer from some of these pathologies. However, there are some that are the most common, such as smoking, working in places like mines where you breathe radon gas, or even pollution.
green lung
In addition to all the above, we have to say that the term in question is used to form other common words or expressions. Among them is the notion of green lung , which is used to refer to an area very rich in vegetation.
Thus, for example, in large cities, where pollution from vehicles and factories is very present, those large parks and gardens that are located in the middle of the street networks and that allow residents to to enjoy a natural area. In the case of Madrid , its green lung is the famous Retiro Park and in New York it is the also known Central Park .