Lung + Pleura

Anatomy
Dr. Katelyn Wood, PhD
katelyn.wood@uwo.ca
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this lesson you will be able to…

• Understand the composition of the lungs

• Describe the location of the lungs within the thoracic cavity

• Label hilum structures, lobes and fissures of the lungs

• Describe the structure and function of pleura

 Superior Mediastinum
- divided into 6 compartments

Thoracic Compartments
Middle Mediastinum
Anterior Mediastinum
Posterior Mediastinum
L + R Pleural Cavities

Middle
mediastinum

Anterior Superior Lateral

 - the transition zone between the middle

Pleural Cavities
mediastinum and the pleura is the hilum
- transition zone --> where we see the entrance
or exit of pulmonary arteries and veins, primary
bronchi and bronchial arteries

Contents:
• Lungs
• Pleura

Hilum:
• Pulmonary Arteries
• Pulmonary Veins
• Primary Bronchi
• Bronchial Arteries
 Airway branching

branches # of tubes
Trachea 1

Copyright © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Main bronchi 1

Lobar and segmental

bronchi
Bronchial Tree

Conducting zone Lobar = 2–3

Segmental = 10

Bronchioles and terminal

11–16
bronchioles
Divisions

- to get from the external

environment down deep into
your lungs, air needs to traverse Respiratory
through a variety of tubes that 17–19
progressively become smaller as bronchioles
we move from your trachea
down towards the alveoli
Respiratory zone
- for gas exchange to occur, you
need to get to an area where you Alveolar ducts 20–22
have a single cell of alveoli
juxtaposed with a single cell of a
capillary
Alveolar sacs 23
- subdivide these tubes coming
off of the trachea progressively
as we get further and further
away (b) Airway branching
The Lungs
 Trachea

Lungs in Situ
- kind of wrap around the front of the heart a little bit (bottom left picture)
Right lung Left lung
- left lungs has 2 lobes and the right lung has 3
- trachea moves right down the midline held open by C-shaped cartilages
where the cartilage is open on the posterior aspect
- trachea divides at the carina to form the main bronchus on both the left
and right sides
- main bronchus is then going to divide to form the lobar bronchi with one
of them heading to each of the lobes of the lungs
- on the right side --> superior, middle, and inferior
Carina
- on the left side --> superior and inferior
Right main bronchus

Right lobar bronchi

Right segmental
bronchus
Right bronchiole

- then divides into segmental bronchi

- they correspond with the bronchopulmonary
segments
- then gets into the bronchioles and terminal
bronchioles before it goes down into the Anterior view of bronchial tree in lungs
respiratory zone
Copyright © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights
reserved.
 What is the lung made of?
• Space between 2 adjacent
alveoli = Interalveolar Septum

• Contents:
• pulmonary capillaries (gas
exchange)
• Interstitium (fibroblasts for
elastic tissue production +
macrophages for protection)
- between alveoli there is a space referred to as the interalveolar septum
- contains pulmonary capillaries important for gas exchange via pulmonary circulation
- a space referred to as the interstitium --> contains fibroblasts which make the elastic tissue that
lungs are primarily composed of as well as macrophages
- macrophages --> part of the immune system and are there for protection

Netter’s Essential Histology by Ovalle and Nahirney 2008

 - it's there to supply the tissues themselves
- the lungs are a form of tissue in your body, it needs a blood supply and its right
special feature is gas exchange and that's why it has the pulmonary circulation

Lungs
- the heart has tissue that needs blood supply and that's what the coronary
system is for but its special is contraction
- muscles --> they get systemic blood flow but their special feature is contraction
as well

• Each lung has 3 surfaces:

• Costal surface (against the ribs) Lateral aspect
• Diaphragmatic surface (against the diaphragm) Inferior aspect
• Mediastinal surface (against the mediastinum) going towards the
midline

left
• Apex = top of lung
• Root/Hilum = mediastinal surface
a region of transition from structures within the middle mediastinum out towards the lungs and
back again

• Separated into lobes by fissures

• Connected to the heart via pulmonary (gas

exchange) + bronchial (systemic) circulation
- gas exchange, which allows you to oxygenate your blood and remove carbon dioxide
- bronchial circulation --> part of systemic circulation; very similar to the coronary circulation of the heart
 apex
- the presence of the two fissures together
are going to form the three lobes: superior,

Right Lung
middle, and inferior

superior lobe
Lateral View

anterior border

horizontal fissure
costal surface

middle lobe

inferior lobe

oblique fissure

base
inferior border
 apex

only 2 lobes: superior and inferior

Left Lung
- lingula --> a little piece of the superior lobe
that actually wraps around the front of the
heart and looks a little bit like a tongue

Lateral View
superior lobe

anterior border oblique fissure

costal surface

inferior lobe

lingula

inferior border
 - placeof transition --> where tubes and
vessels are going to transition from the

Hilum Structures
mediastinum out into the lungs

• Bronchi (air) lumen is a term for the inside of the hole

• Have cartilaginous rings surrounding lumen

• Pulmonary Arteries (deoxygenated blood)
• Anterior to bronchi, thicker walled than veins
• Pulmonary Veins (oxygenated blood)
• Inferior
• Lymphatics lungs have some lymphatic drainage and bronchial arteries
• Bronchial Arteries (systemic circulation)tissue itself
supply to the lung
Number of divisions
depends upon location
• Pulmonary Ligament (pleural reflection) of X-section
 apex

R. Hilum
branches of right
pulmonary a.
superior lobe

superior lobar bronchus

Root of the Lung mediastinal surface

oblique fissure

anterior border
inferior and middle lobar
bronchi (common origin)

hilium

branches of right
horizontal fissure pulmonary vv.

inferior lobe

cardiac impression costal surface, vertebral

part

pulmonary ligament

middle lobe

diaphragmatic base
surface Pulmonary lig
inferior border Double layer of pleura
transitioning from visceral to
parietal
Pleura
Pleural Cavities
• Pleura are 2-layered sacs
surrounding the lungs
• Visceral = next to lung
• Parietal = next to thoracic wall

- the visceral layer is next to the lung and is adhered to it

- parietal layer is next to the ribs
- similar to the way that the pericardium is formed around the heart
- visceral pleura (purple) then the parietal pleura (red) --> ex. like blowing
up a balloon with a little bit of air and sticking your fist inside it -->
represents the continuous nature of the pleura between both the parietal
and visceral layers
- the lungs would be the fist
- the hilum would be the wrist
- the area inferior to the wrist formed of that transition zone between
visceral and parietal pleura would be where the pulmonary ligament was
Pleural Cavities
• Pleura are 2-layered sacs
surrounding the lungs
• Visceral = next to lung
• Parietal = next to thoracic wall
• Costal = ribs
• Diaphragmatic = diaphragm
• Mediastinal = heart/mediastinum
• Cervical = neck

- name the pleura based on which surface it's against

- looking at a lung from a cadaveric specimen, the lungs appear shiny
and smooth because the visceral pleura is still on there
- cervical pleura is at the apex
- costal pleura next to the ribs
- diaphragmatic pleura is at the base of the lung

Figure 4.30C – Clinically Oriented Anatomy (Moore et al)

 - lungs don't fill the entire space
- there is a gap between the 2 layers of parietal and visceral pleura
- key more maintaining a pressure difference which we capitalize on in

Lungs within Pleura

order to be able to breathe
- lungs are ending a bit short of pleura --> it's important so that the lungs
have space to move within the pleura when you breath and that we can
alter the pressures of the intrapleural space to allow breathing to occur

Figure 4.31B-D – Clinically Oriented Anatomy (Moore et al)

 Pleural Reflections + Recesses
• 2 clinically significant recesses within
the pleura:
• Costomediastinal
• Costodiaphragmatic

• Potential areas where

What muscles
fluid can collect
- the 2 clinically significant recesses within the pleura are are these?
potential areas where fluid can collect intercostals -->
- one space between the costa (anterior) chest wall and the external, internal and
mediastinum --> costomediastinal recess innermost
- costodiaphragmatic recess --> inferior between the ribs and
the diaphragm
- if you have a pleural effusion, or an accumulation of fluid
within the pleural or intrapleural space and you are seated, fluid
can collect in the extra space between the lung and pleura
To Summarize…
• Lung consists of alveoli + interstitium
• 2 lungs, divided into lobes by fissures
• Left lung = 2 lobes
• Right lung = 3 lobes
• Pleural cavities exist to the right and left of the mediastinum
• Contain lungs + pleura
• Pleura = 2 layered sac, in which the lungs are situated
• Visceral layer = next to lung; parietal layer = next to chest wall
• Space between pleural layers = intrapleural space
• Opening in pleura at the hilum of the lung
• A key passageway for neurovasculature + pulmonary structures into the lungs
 ©

katelyn.wood@uwo.ca