How many lobes do the lungs have?

How many lobes do the lungs have?

• A. Left lung has three lobes; right lung has two.
• B. Both lungs have four lobes.
• C. Both lungs have two lobes.
• D. Left lung has two lobes; right lung has three.

Answer: (D)

Lung lobes are defined by fissures that partition each lung, and their arrangement differs between the two sides. The right lung has two fissures—the oblique fissure and the horizontal fissure—which create three lobes: upper, middle, and lower. The left lung has only the oblique fissure, producing two lobes: the upper and lower, and it’s smaller because the heart occupies space on that side. This is why the description left with two lobes and right with three is the accurate one.

Lung lobes are defined by fissures that partition each lung, and their arrangement differs between the two sides. The right lung has two fissures—the oblique fissure and the horizontal fissure—which create three lobes: upper, middle, and lower. The left lung has only the oblique fissure, producing two lobes: the upper and lower, and it’s smaller because the heart occupies space on that side. This is why the description left with two lobes and right with three is the accurate one.