Fun facts about our lungs

The average adult takes 12-15 breaths a minute at rest. Place your hand your chest - feel your rib cage rise and fall as you inhale and exhale. This is the only outward sign your lungs are hard at work. They are bringing air into your body, the oxygen from each breath is transferred to the bloodstream and sent to all the body's cells as life-sustaining fuel. Lungs are different from most of the other organs in the body because their delicate tissues are directly connected to the outside environment. Germs, tobacco smoke and other air pollutants cause damage to airways and threaten the lungs' ability to work properly.

1. Your left lung is smaller than your right one to allow for your heart. The left lung is divided into two lobes while the other is divided into three.
   
   
2. You can live without one lung. It does limit your physical ability but doesn’t stop you from living a relatively normal life. Many people around the world live with just one lung.
   
   
3. You take approximately 22,000 breaths every 24 hours, breathing in around 11,000 liters of air every day.
   
   
4. Air quality changes with temperature. During the hotter times of the year there is more ozone. 

More Information

To learn more about lung health and the air we breathe visit American Lung Association in California

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