air sacs
Breath-holding lung chambers
Air sacs are hollow, air-filled spaces in the body.
In birds, air sacs connect to the lungs and extend into bones, enabling efficient one-way airflow during flight.
In humans, the term usually refers to the alveoli—tiny pouches in the lungs where oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange occurs.
Some insects and other animals have analogous structures.
- alveoliLung's gas-exchange chambers
- lungsRespiratory chest organs
- gas exchangeTransfer of respiratory molecules
- thin wallsPoorly insulated partitions
- diverticulaSac-like protrusions from walls
respiration · deep breath · birds · pulmonary · exhale · breathing · syrinx · hollow bones · insects · courtship displays · puffed up · oxygen · hypoxia · ventilation · chest cavity · bellows · respiratory system · pneumatic
- Lungslungs, lung, bronchi, bronchus, alveoli
- Respirationbreathing, lungs, inhalation, inhaling, exhalation
- dinosaur bodyskull, skeleton, bones, tail, teeth
- respiratory systemlungs, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, airways
- bird anatomybeak, feathers, wings, tail feathers, wing feathers
- breathing organslungs, gills, alveoli, bronchi, bronchioles
air sacsbronchial tubes
Airways entering the lungs
bronchi · trachea · airways · windpipe · bronchioles
air, airs, sac, aerobic, aerate, aeronautics, airspace, aerospace, aerodynamics