I cannot believe that is has been nearly a month since my last post. I feel like such a liar. I am currently visiting the hubs in St. Thomas, which is nice, and just trying to relax. I have worn myself out a bit, but am still here. Just to give you the heads up.
In this post, I hope to give you all a better understanding of what the lungs do and why they are important. If you remember my first post in my COPD series (I know, it took me a while to get to this one), I gave a brief overview of some of the diseases that this blanket term covers. By giving you a small idea of the function of the lungs, I hope to make it easier to understand future posts about how the specific diseases affect a person in different ways. Remember, click the diagram to view it in a larger format. Now, on to learning!
How We Breath
At its simplest, breathing is comprised of air entering the main windpipe- labeled the trachea on the diagram- enters the right and left main tube (stem bronchus). From here, the bronchus splits into more than 100,000 bronchioles and form more than 300 million air sacs.
Because of all of this branching and forming, the surface area of the lungs is huge. It usually averages about 100 sq yards. The air sacs themselves are quite small at only about .3mm diameter and they are covered with lots of capillaries. This small size makes the transfer of gases (oxygen and carbon dioxide) really efficient.
A Line of Defense
The lungs are not only our gas exchange center, but act as a line of defense against environmental factors and many diseases. The lungs will form a mucus and expel any build up or pollutants. The lungs aid in disposing of blood clots from our veins. They also get rid of gas bubbles in our blood stream. If that wasn't enough, they are believed to also act as a cushion around the heart to protect it from light physical trauma. Think of them as a cushioned helmet or knee pad for the heart. Pretty impressive!
Shape
The lungs actually flank the heart. While at first glance, the two lungs may appear symmetrical, they are not. They are actually separated into distinct lobes (think like the partitions on a fish gill) and there are three lobes on the right and two on the left. Also, the "cardiac notch" gives them each a unique shape. This is the hole that allows the heart to rest between the lungs so well. Since the heart is not symmetrical, the notches to accommodate it between the lungs are not either.
What Does This Do For Me?
In case you haven't figured out why the lungs are important yet, here is a synopsis of why:
I hope this clears things up for you all. If you have any questions, feel free to let me know in the comments.
Hey everyone! I hope you all have been having a great weekend. Yesterday after work I went on the hunt for that great Botanical Gardens I mentioned in my last post. I did find it and it's so neat. I can't wait to go back with more time so I can get some footage and more pictures. Mom and I got there at around 6:30pm and it closes at 7.
The website for the garden is here. They had butterfly gardens planted as well and I saw lots of really cute bugs and caterpillars everywhere! The plants were marvelous as well and seeing how lovely they gardens were without the use of grass made me dislike lawn grass even more. Besides being a waste of LOTS of water, it's not really useful for any of the wildlife here in Florida.
The above caterpillar is easily the biggest caterpillar (not longest) I have ever seen. He was fatter than a really big cigar! The common name is the Gold Rim and it is a lovely butterfly. It is the only tailless swallowtail butterfly in North America. The species is also unique in that the chrysalis will be different colors depending on where it pupates. If it pupates near a leaf, the chrysalis will usually be green. If it pupates near a dead leaf or vine, it will usually be brown.
I also saw this really beautiful grasshopper. It is a flightless grasshopper and also one of the most colorful in Florida. It is occasionally a pest to daylillies and citrus.
I can't wait to go spend more time at the Botanical Gardens. I only went to a very small portion of the 183 acres. Not too much time to see much when you go 1/2 hour before closing. See you guys soon.
Hi all! Things are still moving a bit slowly for me here in Florida, but I think I finally have time to do more science posts. I have been looking at my schedule and I think I can work in a few posts a week now from Mom's laptop. I may steal her digital camera for a bit as well. This is a great area for birds and the like and there are a lot of native plants I could really do some posts on as well. I also finally got my camcorder and have a few opportunities to record some stuff. I have been riding the Pinellas Trail a bit and should be able to come up with something on my rides to and from the shop. I finally saw my first Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly. I also saw two different Battus species. This is very exciting for me. Now I have to chase them down and attempt to take pictures. Many of the others I have come across are also native to St. Thomas so nothing new, but I am really excited about a lot of what I have seen.
Things at the deli seem to be getting into a steadier pace. We have more than a few "regulars" now which is always nice. The menu is coming along and we have added soup. Our house soup will be a tomato basil that is absolutely delicious. I promise that it is very unlike tomato soups you may have had in the past. We have coffee and tea service as well and our daily specials are finally gaining popularity. We are also working on game nights and things of that nature to bring in people after work. Scrabble is definitely at the top of the list!
Besides that, there isn't too much to talk about. I did get to see the hubs this past weekend, which was nice. It was hard when he left again, but I know this will all work out. I also found out that there is a botanical gardens close by and the best part is it is FREE to visit. I smell a video along the lines of the Viscaya one brewing! Probably better quality by now. You would think, at least, considering that was my FIRST video on this site! Well, I hope you all are doing well. Now that I have worked out a somewhat workable "break" break into my day, I will begin stopping by all of your blogs more regularly again. Have a great week!
Okay. I suck. I know. I haven't really posted anything of sustenance in a while. I'm pooped. All I have been doing is making, thinking, eating sandwiches. I am glad I am creative with them. Sheesh! I finally did get a half day off yesterday and got to see some of "real" Florida. It was nice. It rained a bit though. Oh wells. I did get to see something besides the inside of the shop and the drive to Mom's. I am really excited though.... Hubby comes on Thursday!!! Woohoo! I get to see him for a few days. He leaves again on Sunday, but I am still so happy to see him. It has been 3 LOOONNNGGGG weeks. Even though we talk like 10 times a day, we are both still very excited. I won't get out of the shop much, but at least I get to hang out with him. Sorry this was a useless post. It's just nice to get it out of my system.
I have been so NOT on my normal schedule that I didn't even get to do my 5 Minutes for Going Green post last month. Well, I did one this month and it's up to read. It's about indoor air quality. IAQ (indoor air quality) is one of the leading environmental risks. In fact, the:
Environmental Protection Agency has identified indoor air quality as one of the top five most urgent environmental risks to public health...More than 50 percent of Americans are not aware that poor indoor air quality is one of the top five most urgent environmental risks to public health. And nearly 25 percent of Americans are not concerned about the air quality in their homes and the impact it can have on their family’s health.
I know, FINALLY. Give me a little break though. I have been helping my mom run a business here! lol I am pretty sure the equation for that is
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