Anatomy, Thorax, Bronchial

Excerpt

The lungs are the vital respiration organs in the thorax. Healthy human lung tissue is soft, light, and spongy. These characteristics facilitate and allow for elasticity and recoil for normal dynamic function. The lungs subdivide into lung parenchyma (the portion of the lung involved in gas transfer) and bronchi (airways, non-respiratory tissues). The bronchi (singular. bronchus) are an extension of the trachea and serve as the central passageway into the lungs. Together, these two structures form the tracheobronchial tree of the lungs, with its primary purpose being to transport inspired air into the lungs where oxygen-deprived blood becomes oxygenated.