Right lung

Last revised by Craig Hacking on 4 Nov 2021

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

There are a few differences between the two lungs:

  1. The right lung is larger in volume than the left lung, with a larger transverse dimension (due to the heart on the left) but a shorter longitudinal dimension (due to the liver causing the right hemidiaphragm to be higher than the left).
  2. The right main bronchus also differs to the left main bronchus, as it is longer, larger caliber and more vertical.
  3. The right lung has 2 fissures: the oblique and horizontal fissures.
  4. The right lung contains 3 lobes and 10 bronchopulmonary segments:

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

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