Organ Name: Lungs (prefixes include: pulm-, pulmon-, pneumo-)

What System: The respiratory system.

Where it’s located: Either side of the chest, or thorax.

Main Function: Lungs are meant to help take the oxygen from the air we breathe enter the red blood cells in our blood. The trachea, or windpipe, brings air into the lungs through tubular branches known as the bronchi. The bronchi divide into smaller bronchioles, which have alveoli, or air sacs, at the ends of each bronchioles. These air sacs are the goal for the oxygen brought in from inhalation. Blood enters through the pulmonary artery, releases carbon dioxide through the capillary wall into the alveoli, and intakes oxygen from the air in the alveoli. The oxygenated blood then leaves through the pulmonary vein.

Protective Bodies: Lungs are protected by the rib cage, which contain a total of 24 ribs, with twelve on each side.

Germ Layer: Endoderm (innermost of the germ layers) cells form many of the internal linings of the body, including the lungs.

Major Arteries, Veins, or Nerves: the pulmonary artery, the bronchial artery, the pulmonary vein, the bronchial veins, the vagus nerve including the pulmonary branches of the vagus nerve.


Diseases:
Squamous Cell Carcinoma (Non-Small-Cell Cancer): Begins in the tissue that lines the airways in the lungs. Symptoms can include persistent coughing, coughing up blood, and wheezing. Often located near larger airways, any obstruction could lead to infections like pneumonia, or could collapse part of a lung.

Lung Adenocarcinoma (Non-Small-Cell Cancer): Begins in the tissues that are near the outer parts of the lungs, or periphery, and can be present for a while before ever being diagnosed. It is often never found in never and non-smokers, and is becoming increasingly more common than squamous cell carcinoma.Symptoms can include persistent coughing, fatigue, shortness of breath, and achiness in the torso.

Small Cell Lung Cancer: Small-lung cancer is strongly linked to tobacco and smoking, even if it is secondhand. This type of cancer grows rapidly and spreads quickly, but responds will to chemotherapy and radiation. Symptoms can include persistent cough, coughing up blood, shortness of breath, and sharp chest pain, difficulty swallowing, and swelling in face and hands.

Asthma: Respiratory condition caused by inflammation of airways. Asthma may be triggered by exposure to allergens, exercise, illness. (especially when there is another respiratory illness present), and even a display of intense emotion. Symptoms can include coughing, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, wheezing. If severe and left untreated, asthma can be fatal.

Pneumonia: Inflammation of lung tissue, normally due to infection (virus or bacterium) Non-infective pneumonia is usually caused by inhaling chemicals or poisons. Symptoms can include a fever, sweats, shivers, cough, headaches, and body pains, and increased generation of yellow/green/bloodstained phlegm.