#Oblique cervical spine x ray anatomy series#

They are named costal, mediastinal and diaphragmatic.

Surfaces (three) - These correspond to the area of the thorax that they face.

Lobes (two or three) - These are separated by fissures within the lung.

Base - The inferior surface of the lung, which sits on the diaphragm.

It projects upwards, above the level of the 1st rib and into the floor of the neck.

Apex - The blunt superior end of the lung.

The left lung is slightly smaller than the right - this is due to the presence of the heart. The lungs are roughly cone shaped, with an apex, base, three surfaces and three borders. The medial surfaces of both lungs lie in close proximity to several mediastinal structures: Left Lung They are suspended from the mediastinum by the lung root - a collection of structures entering and leaving the lungs. Each lung is surrounded by a pleural cavity, which is formed by the visceral and parietal pleura. The lungs lie either side of the mediastinum, within the thoracic cavity. Fig 1 - Anatomical position of the lungs. These are the alveoli – the site of gaseous exchange. Each terminal bronchiole gives off respiratory bronchioles, which feature thin walled outpocketings that extend from their lumens. The segmental bronchi give rise to many conducting bronchioles, which eventually lead into terminal bronchioles. Each segmental bronchus provides air to a bronchopulmonary segment – these are the functional units of the lungs. Inside the lung, they divide to form lobar bronchi – one supplying each lobe.Įach lobar bronchus then further divides into several tertiary segmental bronchi. Note: The right bronchus has a higher incidence of foreign body inhalation due to its wider shape and more vertical course.Įach bronchus enters the root of the lung, passing through the hilum. It begins with the trachea, which divides into a left and right bronchus.

#Oblique cervical spine x ray anatomy series#

The bronchial tree is a series of passages that supplies air to the alveoli of the lungs. Note how the two layers of pleura are continuous at the hilum of the lung. Each root contains a bronchus, pulmonary artery, two pulmonary veins, bronchial vessels, pulmonary plexus of nerves and lymphatic vessels.Īll these structures enter or leave the lung via the hilum – a wedge shaped area on its mediastinal surface.įig 3 – The parietal and viscera pleura, and the pleural cavity. The lung root is a collection of structures that suspends the lung from the mediastinum. It is formed by the costal and mediastinal surfaces meeting posteriorly.

The posterior border is smooth and rounded (in contrast to the anterior and inferior borders, which are sharp). The inferior border separates the base of the lung from the costal and mediastinal surfaces. On the left lung, the anterior border is marked by a deep notch, created by the apex of the heart. The anterior border of the lung is formed by the convergence of the mediastinal and costal surfaces. It is related to the costal pleura, which separates it from the ribs and innermost intercostal muscles. It faces the internal surface of the chest wall. This concavity is deeper in the right lung, due to the higher position of the right dome overlying the liver. It rests on the dome of the diaphragm, and has a concave shape. The base of the lung is formed by the diaphragmatic surface. The lung hilum (where structures enter and leave the lung) is located on this surface. The mediastinal surface of the lung faces the lateral aspect of the middle mediastinum.

There are three lung surfaces, each corresponding to an area of the thorax. The oblique fissures are similar in both lungs Surfaces The left lung contains superior and inferior lobes, which are separated by a similar oblique fissure.įig 2 – The lobes and fissures of the lungs.

Horizontal fissure– Runs horizontally from the sternum, at the level of the 4th rib, to meet the oblique fissure.

Oblique fissure – Runs from the inferior border of the lung in a superoposterior direction, until it meets the posterior lung border.

The lobes are divided from each other by two fissures: The right lung has three lobes superior, middle and inferior. The right and left lungs do not have an identical lobular structure.

Borders (three) – The edges of the lungs, named the anterior, inferior and posterior borders.Surfaces (three) – These correspond to the area of the thorax that they face.Lobes (two or three) – These are separated by fissures within the lung.Base – The inferior surface of the lung, which sits on the diaphragm.Apex – The blunt superior end of the lung.The left lung is slightly smaller than the right – this is due to the presence of the heart.