Left lung

Last revised by Craig Hacking on 4 Nov 2021

The left lung is one of two lungs, located in the left hemithorax on the left of the heart and mediastinum

There are a few differences between the two lungs:

  1. The left lung is smaller in volume than the right lung, with a smaller transverse dimension (due to the heart on the left) but a larger longitudinal dimension (due to the liver causing the right hemidiaphragm to be higher than the left).
  2. The left main bronchus also differs to the right main bronchus, as it is shorter, smaller caliber and more horizontal.
  3. The left lung has just one fissure: the oblique fissure.
  4. The left lung contains 2 lobes and 8 bronchopulmonary segments:

For a detailed description of lung anatomy and function, see the lung article here.

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