Body Facts: Respiratory System
- The left lung (consisting of two lobes) is smaller than the right (consisting of three lobes), because the heart takes up more space on the left side of the chest cavity.
- Hairs in the nose help clean the air we breathe in as well as warm it.
- The highest recorded "sneeze speed" is 165 km (102.5 miles) per hour.
- The surface area of the lungs is roughly the same size as a tennis court.
- The capillaries in the lungs would extend 1,600 km (994 mi.) if laid out end to end.
- We lose half a liter (about 0.5 quart) of water a day by breathing. It is visible as water vapor when we breathe onto glass.
- A person at rest usually breathes between 12 and 15 times a minute.
- About every seventh breath we take is significantly deeper than the others.
Facts courtesy of BODY WORLDS.
Image: Gunther von Hagens, Institute for Plastination, Heidelberg, Germany, www.bodyworlds.com.
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