They’re squishy like sponges and stretchy like balloons. You use them every minute of every day, all day and all night, too—no matter what you’re doing. And you probably never even think about them.
They’re your lungs—those elastic bags with millions of tiny air pouches inside. All day long, those sacs in your chest fill and empty with air. That’s the breath that feeds your body the oxygen it needs to stay alive. But, breathing isn’t the only way these two pouches help you.
Your lungs keep dust, viruses, pollutants, and other airborne particles from invading your body. They also filter the blood that passes through them. Lungs eliminate tiny clots and fat globules. And they are central to speech; without the air your lungs exhale, you’d be silent.
