Also called: right lung, left lung
The lungs are the paired organs of gas exchange in the chest. The right lung has three lobes and the left has two, with a cardiac notch that accommodates the heart. Air passes through bronchi into alveoli, where oxygen enters the blood and carbon dioxide leaves it. Each lung is enclosed by a pleural sac.
| Location | Thoracic cavity on either side of the mediastinum, each in its own pleural cavity. |
|---|---|
| Structure | Right lung: superior, middle and inferior lobes (two fissures). Left lung: superior and inferior lobes (one fissure), lingula and cardiac notch; bronchopulmonary segments. |
| Function | Gas exchange between inspired air and pulmonary capillary blood. |
| Blood supply | Pulmonary arteries carry deoxygenated blood to the lungs; pulmonary veins return oxygenated blood; bronchial arteries supply the lung tissue itself. |
| Innervation | Pulmonary plexus: vagus nerve (bronchoconstriction) and sympathetic fibres (bronchodilation). |
3D model: BodyParts3D (CC BY 4.0), adult male reference anatomy. Highlighted structure shown with nearby bones for context.
The atlas model shows the bronchial tree and pulmonary vessels together with the lung lobes. The right lung is larger and slightly shorter than the left, which is displaced by the heart.
The right lung has three lobes and the left lung has two.
The heart and its apex occupy space on the left, creating the cardiac notch.
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