
Lungs are amazing organs. They allow us to breathe in the oxygen we need to live and breathe out a waste product called carbon dioxide.
Interesting lung facts
- Your left lung is smaller than your right lung, to accommodate for your heart1.
- 70% of waste is eliminated through your lungs just by breathing2.
- Can you live without one lung? Yes you can, it limits your physical ability but doesn’t stop you from living a relatively normal life. Many people around the world live with just one lung3.
- No matter how hard we exhale, our lungs will always retain 1 litre of air in the airways. This makes the lungs only human organs that can float on water4.
- Oxygen only plays a small part in our breathing. The air we breathe contains 21% oxygen, but our bodies only use 5%, the rest is exhaled4.
- Children and women are faster breathers than men because their breathing rate is higher1.
- Humans exhale up to 17.5 millilitres of water per hour1.
Anyone can get lung disease. Take 2 minutes to check in with your lungs.
References
- https://lunginstitute.com/blog/never-knew-breathing-facts/
- https://www.livescience.com/52250-lung.html
- http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/humanbody/lungs.html
- https://bronchiectasisnewstoday.com/social-clips/2016/10/14/8-curious-facts-about-lungs/3/