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Interesting Facts about the Human Body: Respiratory System and Lungs

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The universe is full of wonders created by Allah; the human body is perhaps one of the most complex structures among all creatures. Many organs, systems, and cells tirelessly work day and night to keep humans alive and renew their activity and energy. Hereunder are some interesting and peculiar facts about the human body that you may learn for the first time and will truly amaze you.

The lungs continue to grow and develop until adulthood; when they reach full size, they maintain a relatively constant volume. The left lung remains smaller than the right one to make room for the heart, which is located on the left side of the body. Strange as it may seem, a person can live a normal life with only one lung, although this may limit their physical ability.

The lungs are the only organ that can float on water. According to a 2013 study in the International Journal of Legal Medicine, medical examiners use the “lung floatation test” during autopsies to determine whether a baby was stillborn in the mother’s womb. If the lungs float, the baby is born alive; if they do not float, the baby is stillborn. This method is accurate in 98% of cases.

This is mainly due to the air inside the alveoli in the lungs, which are small air sacs through which gas exchange occurs. The alveoli in the adult human lung are about 300 to 500 million. The total surface area of the alveoli was estimated to be approximately the size of a tennis court. The number of daily inhalations and exhalations for a person is about 22 thousand. The normal breathing rate in healthy adults is 12-20 breaths per minute, 22-34 breaths per minute in children aged 3-5 years, and 30-60 breaths per minute in children. Children under six months.

The respiratory system also resorts to a number of natural mechanisms for protection, such as coughing, sneezing, and yawning. While coughing and sneezing help protect the lungs from foreign and harmful substances that may be inhaled with the air, the exact cause of yawning is still a mystery, however it is believed that it may help cool the brain and increase blood flow. As soon as the brain feels a lack of oxygen, it prompts the parts of the respiratory system to take a long, deep breath or yawn. The speed of sneezing is 160 km/h, which expels air, mucus, and bacteria from the body.

Check this video.

References

Buxmontpodiatry

Careplusvn.com

Chestnutdental

Harleystreetent

Healthline.com

Hiddenhearing

Mychicagofootexpert

Pediatricfootankle

Respiratorytherapyzone

Smilescapes

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