16 Interesting human body facts about the human lungs

The need to breathe so much is due to CO2 build-up. Breathing once per minute would provide the oxygen needed. Tweet This

The lung on the left side is smaller in size than the right one in order to fit the heart. Tweet This

Babies are born with pink lungs but they darken in colour as we breathe in polluted air. Tweet This

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A person can expect to breathe in about 45 pounds (20 kg) of dust over lifetime. Tweet This

Lungs inhale over 2,000 m3 of air each day. Tweet This

Muscles attached to the ribs can also help with breathing, if diaphragm gets tired. Tweet This

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Ribs move with every breath, around 5 million times a year. Tweet This

The diaphragm is a dome-shaped muscle below the lungs that makes breathing possible. Tweet This

Lungs have 300,000 million capillaries, whose total length combined would be 1,500 miles (2,400 km). Tweet This

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All 600 million alveoli in lungs have surface of a tennis court. Tweet This

Special cells in lungs produce mucous. They serve as first line of defence against bacteria, dust and dirt entering your body. Tweet This

Brain senses the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide in blood, and causes you to breathe faster or slower. Tweet This

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It’s impossible to commit suicide by holding your breath. Tweet This

It’s impossible to breathe and swallow simultaneously. Tweet This

The larynx, a.k.a. the voice box contains the vocal cords. Tweet This

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Vocal cords are two miniature ridges which open or close, allowing us to modulate our voice. Tweet This