Lung Facts for Kids

A Picture of the human lungs
  • Organ Name: Lungs
  • Organ Location: Thoracic cavity of the chest
  • Organ System: Respiratory system
  • Organ Purpose: Extract oxygen from the air into the bloodstream
  • Organ Weight: Right lung, between 0.22 and 1.58 pounds
  • Organ Weight: Left lung, between 0.23 and 1.48 pounds

18 Lung Facts for Kids

  1. The lungs are the main component of the human body’s respiratory system.
  2. The lungs take in oxygen from the air and release carbon dioxide back into the air.
  3. The lungs are in the thoracic cavity of the human chest.
  4. The human lungs are what bring oxygenated blood to the heart and remove carbon dioxide from the bloodstream.
  5. The human lungs also make it possible for humans to vocalize sounds and speak.
  6. The human lungs are party of the lower respiratory tract.
  7. An average, healthy human will breath about 2,900 gallons of air every 24 hours.
  8. The diaphragm (thin skeletal muscle) is what your lungs use to inhale and exhale air.
  9. A human has two lungs, the left lung and the right lung.
  10. The left lung is slightly smaller than the right lung to make room for the human heart.
  11. The right lung has three lobes, the upper lobe, middle lobe and lower lobe.
  12. The left lung has two lobs, the upper lobe and lower lobe.
  13. The average weight of a human female’s left lung is between 0.23 and 1.13 pounds, and the right lung is on average between 0.22 and 1.30 pounds.
  14. The average weight of a human male’s right lung is between 0.34 and 1.58 pounds, and the left lung is on average between 0.24 and 1.48 pounds.
  15. Both human lungs together have around 1,500 miles of airways.
  16. The study of lung disorders and diseases of the lungs is known as pulmonology, and someone who studies pulmonology is called a pulmonologist.
  17. A few examples of lung disease are asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, lung cancer and pneumonia.
  18. Smoking is the number one cause of lung cancer and lung cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. By not smoking, you can drastically lower the chances of not being one of those 1.8 million deaths (2018) caused by lung cancer.

Additional Resources on the Human Lungs