The Miracle of Lungs: The Astonishing Organ That Processes 500 Million Liters of Air in a Lifetime
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5. Amazing facts about what powers our breath
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Although we often take our lungs for granted, this amazing organ has many surprises. Did you know that your lungs are not exactly the same size? The right lung is slightly larger than the left lung, providing the heart with the space it needs. This asymmetry perfectly illustrates how the organs in our body are positioned for optimal performance. Even more amazing is that our lungs are the only organ in our body that is able to float on water. This is due to the small air sacs, or alveoli, that can still hold some air after we exhale. Forensic science has used this property to determine whether a victim found in the water drowned or died from another cause before reaching the water. Even more amazing is how fast our lungs work. At sea level, the breathing rate is about 80 kilometers per hour. At this speed, a marathon runner can complete a race in just over thirty minutes! This high-speed air movement ensures a rapid gas exchange, which is essential for our body's oxygen supply. Surprisingly, the pH balance of our blood also depends on our lungs. By regulating carbon dioxide levels, the lungs help keep the acidity of the blood at an ideal level for the body to function. Along with the kidneys, this respiratory control of blood pH helps maintain a stable internal environment. Interestingly, our lungs do more than just process air. They also filter all of our blood every minute. All of our body's blood flows through our lungs, where it picks up oxygen and releases carbon dioxide. Therefore, our lungs are not only respiratory organs, but also an important part of our circulatory system. The lungs also have an unexpected connection to our voices. While our larynx, or vocal cords, produce sound, our speech is driven by the air in our lungs. The volume and duration of our speech is directly dependent on the force and amount of air we exhale from our lungs. Another starting truth is that hiccups are really a diaphragm defect, the primary muscle used in breathing. The diaphragm contraction creates a quick intake of breath that is stopped by the shutting of the vocal chord, producing the distinct "hic" sound.Finally, although we cannot create new lungs, these organs have amazing capacity for healing and regeneration to some degree. For example, the lungs start to heal themselves practically right away after smoking cessation. Lung function can greatly improve within a few months, highlighting the resiliency of these amazing organs .
