Question

What is the function of the lungs in connection with the circulatory system?

Answer 1

The lungs are major organs of the respiratory system. The respiratory system performs the important function of extraction of oxygen from the atmosphere and transferring it into the bloodstream.

Complete answer:
The human body has two lungs located in the thoracic cavity of the chest. The right lung shares space in the thoracic cavity with the heart. The right lung is bigger than the left lung. The lungs weigh approximately 1.3 kilograms with the right lung weighing more than the left lung. The lungs begin at the trachea and it further branches into the bronchi and bronchioles. The lungs receive air via the conducting zone. The lungs are enclosed within a pleural sac. The pleural sac contains the pleural fluid which eliminates friction during the sliding of the inner and outer walls.
Pulmonary circulation facilitates the movement of blood between the heart and the lungs. Deoxygenated blood is transported to the lungs. The carbon dioxide from the blood is released and oxygen is absorbed into the blood. The oxygenated blood is then circulated back to the heart where it is pumped across the entire body.

Note:
The lungs also perform the function of release of carbon dioxide from the bloodstream into the atmosphere. This is the process of gaseous exchange.
A pulmonary embolism is a blood clot that develops in the pulmonary arteries and stops the flow of deoxygenated blood into the lungs. A large increase in the pressure at the beginning of the pulmonary artery is called pulmonary hypertension.