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The lungs expand and contract during the breathing cycle, drawing air in and out of the lungs. The volume of air moved in or out of the lungs under normal resting circumstances (the resting tidal volume of about 500 ml), and volumes moved during maximally forced inhalation and maximally forced exhalation are measured in humans by spirometry. [12]
The lungs together weigh approximately 1.3 kilograms (2.9 lb), and the right is heavier. The lungs are part of the lower respiratory tract that begins at the trachea and branches into the bronchi and bronchioles, which receive air breathed in via the conducting zone. These divide until air reaches microscopic alveoli, where gas exchange takes ...
The brain parenchyma refers to the functional tissue in the brain that is made up of the two types of brain cell, neurons and glial cells. [7] It is also known to contain collagen proteins. [ 8 ] Damage or trauma to the brain parenchyma often results in a loss of cognitive ability or even death.
Breathing is the repetitive process of bringing air into the lungs and taking waste products out. The oxygen brought in from the air is a constant, on-going need of an organism to maintain life. This need is still there during sleep so that the functioning of this process has to be automatic and be part of the autonomic nervous system. The in ...
Lung transplantation – the replacement of either a single lung or both (bilateral) – may be considered in end-stage disease. A bilateral transplant is the preferred choice as complications can arise in a remaining single native lung; complications can include hyperinflation, pneumonia, and the development of lung cancer. [60]
Pulmonary stretch receptors are mechanoreceptors found in the lungs. When the lung expands, the receptors initiate the Hering-Breuer reflex, which reduces the respiratory rate. This signal is transmitted by vagus nerve. Increased firing from the stretch receptors also increases production of pulmonary surfactant.
The next addition to the historical understanding of pulmonary circulation arrived with the Ancient Greeks. Physician Alcmaeon (520 – 450 BCE) proposed that the brain, not the heart, was the connection point for all of the vessels in the body. He believed that the function of these vessels was to bring the "spirit" ("pneuma") and air to the ...
Pulmonary function testing is a diagnostic and management tool used for a variety of reasons, such as: Diagnose lung disease. Monitor the effect of chronic diseases like asthma, chronic obstructive lung disease, or cystic fibrosis. Detect early changes in lung function. Identify narrowing in the airways. Evaluate airway bronchodilator reactivity.