This enlargement of a lung segment shows bronchioles and alveoli.

The alveoli exchange

oxygen and carbon dioxide between the air and your blood.
 When you inhale, your diaphragm and chest wall muscles contract. This increases the
volume of your chest cavity and causes your lungs to expand and draw in air. When you
exhale, your diaphragm and chest wall muscles relax, decreasing the size of your chest
cavity, compressing your lungs slightly, and forcing the stale air out.
The cough is a protective reflex; it clears your breathing passages of secretions. However, when
repeated excessively, it leads to inflamed membranes which may perpetuate the cough.
This chest x-ray reveals pneumonia in the upper lobe of the lung.
Postural drainage uses gravity to help clear lungs of secretions. This position helps
clear the lower area of the lungs.
In bronchitis, the main branches of the airway (the bronchi) leading from the
trachea to the lungs become inflamed and thickened. This restricts air flow.
 In emphysema, the air sacs of the lungs (alveoli) lose elasticity, enlarge, and may
rupture. This decreases the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide with your blood.
One sign of emphysema is an enlarged chest.
To practice diaphragmatic breathing, lie on your back with your head and knees supported
by pillows. Begin to breathe in and out slowly and smoothly. Place your fingertips just
below the base of your rib cage at the midline of your body. As you inhale slowly, you
should feel your diaphragm lifting your hand. Make sure your chest remains motionless
while you do this.
A collapsed lung, or pneumothorax, results if air escapes from the surface of the
lung but is retained in the chest cavity.
This chest x-ray reveals an abnormal mass in the lung. A biopsy revealed lung cancer.
Cigarette smoking is a leading cause of lung cancer and emphysema as shown here.
 Bronchoscopy is a procedure in which a flexible tube is passed down your airway to allow
your physician to see the inside of your air passages. The bronchoscope has an open central
channel through which your physician can remove excess secretions, obtain biopsy
specimens, and introduce saline to rinse your lungs.
The gastrointestinal
tract includes the
esophagus, stomach,
small intestine, large
intestine or colon,
liver, pancreas,
gallbladder,
appendix, and
rectum.