Organ
Right lung
Three-lobed lung beside the right mediastinum
High-yield
The middle lobe is a right-sided feature. A fissure that is partly absent does not erase the underlying bronchovascular lobar pattern.
Overview
The right lung occupies the right side of the chest and rests on the diaphragm. Its usual three lobes are separated by oblique and horizontal fissures, which are often incomplete.
Reference facts
- Location
- Right hemithorax, enclosed by visceral pleura and extending from the root of the neck to the diaphragm
- Parts
- Superior, middle and inferior lobes; ordinarily ten bronchopulmonary segments
- Blood supply
- Right pulmonary arterial tree for gas exchange; bronchial vessels for supporting tissues
- Innervation
- Right pulmonary plexus, containing vagal, sympathetic and visceral sensory fibers
- Relations
- Heart and great veins medially; ribs laterally; liver below the diaphragm
- Venous/Lymphatic drainage
- Pulmonary veins return to the left atrium; lymph passes through pulmonary and hilar nodes toward mediastinal nodes
- Function
- Gas exchange between inspired air and pulmonary blood
Clinical correlation
Fissural variants can alter operative landmarks. An azygos fissure is a developmental pleural fold in the upper lung; its enclosed region is not an additional independent bronchopulmonary lobe.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the right lung located?
The right lung lies right hemithorax, enclosed by visceral pleura and extending from the root of the neck to the diaphragm.
What does the right lung do?
Gas exchange between inspired air and pulmonary blood.
What are the parts of the right lung?
Superior, middle and inferior lobes; ordinarily ten bronchopulmonary segments.
What is the blood supply of the right lung?
Right pulmonary arterial tree for gas exchange; bronchial vessels for supporting tissues.