Lungs provide the breath of life. Our lungs are about the size of a pair of footballs. They fill our chest from the neck to the ribs. The lungs are protected by our ribs. The lungs are the pickup place for oxygen and the drop off place for carbon dioxide. The lungs are always working, breathing in oxygen and breathing out carbon dioxide.

 

Blood is pumped into the lungs from the heart through the pulmonary arteries. Blood with oxygen leaves the lungs through the pulmonary veins and travels to the heart. Oxygen is the fuel that makes all the body processes run.