They’re squishy like sponges and stretchy like balloons. You use them every day and every night—no matter what you’re doing. And, most likely, you never even think about them.
“They” are your lungs. They’re elastic bags that have millions of tiny air pouches inside. All day and all night, those bags in your chest fill and empty with air. That air feeds your body the oxygen you need to stay alive. But, breathing isn’t the only way these two pouches help you.
Dust, viruses, pollutants, and other stuff that floats in the air always try to invade your body. Lungs keep them out. They also filter the blood that passes through them. Lungs eliminate tiny clots and fat globules. And you need them to talk! Without the air your lungs exhale, you’d be silent.
