Root of the lung

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Root of the lung
Mediastinal surface of right lung.
Mediastinal surface of left lung.
Latin	radix pulmonis
Gray's	subject #240 1097
Dorlands/Elsevier	r_02/12688029

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A little above the middle of the mediastinal surface of each lung, and nearer its posterior than its anterior border, is its root, by which the lung is connected to the heart and the trachea.

The root is formed by the bronchus, the pulmonary artery, the pulmonary veins, the bronchial arteries and veins, the pulmonary plexuses of nerves, lymphatic vessels, bronchial lymph glands, and areolar tissue, all of which are enclosed by a reflection of the pleura.

The root of the right lung lies behind the superior vena cava and part of the right atrium, and below the azygos vein. That of the left lung passes beneath the aortic arch and in front of the descending aorta; the phreni pericardiacophrenic artery and vein, and the anterior pulmonary plexus, lie in front of each, and the vagus and posterior pulmonary plexus behind each; below each is the pulmonary ligament.

The chief structures composing the root of each lung are arranged in a similar manner from before backward on both sides, viz., the upper of the two pulmonary veins in front; the pulmonary artery in the middle; and the bronchus, together with the bronchial vessels, behind.

From above downward, on the two sides, their arrangement differs, thus:

On the right side their position is—eparterial bronchus, pulmonary artery, hyparterial bronchus, pulmonary veins, but on the left side their position is—pulmonary artery, bronchus, pulmonary veins.

The lower of the two pulmonary veins, is situated below the bronchus, at the apex or lowest part of the hilus.

Additional images

The phrenic nerve and its relations with the vagus nerve.

External links

• root+of+lung at eMedicine Dictionary
• Atlas of anatomy at UMich lung_lymph - "Transverse section through lung"
• Norman/Georgetown thoraxlesson2
• Diagram at seer.cancer.gov (#21)

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.

v • d • e Anatomy of torso, respiratory system: Lungs and related structures
lungs	right • left • lingula • apex • base • root • cardiac notch • cardiac impression • hilum • borders (anterior, posterior, inferior) • surfaces (costal, mediastinal, diaphragmatic) • fissures (oblique, horizontal)
conducting zone	trachea (tracheal rings, carina) • bronchi • main bronchus (right, left) • lobar/secondary bronchi (eparterial bronchus) • segmental/tertiary bronchi (bronchopulmonary segment) • bronchiole • terminal bronchiole
respiratory zone	respiratory bronchiole • alveolar duct • alveolus • alveolar-capillary barrier
pleurae	parietal pleura (cervical, costal, mediastinal, diaphragmatic) • visceral pleura • pulmonary ligament • recesses (costomediastinal, costodiaphragmatic) • pleural cavity

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Acknowledgement and Attribution Regarding Sources of Content

Some of the initial content on this page may be incorporated in part from copyleft sources in the public domain including wikis such as Wikipedia and AskDrWiki. Drug information for patients came from the The National Library of Medicine. Infectious disease information may have come from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Differential Diagnoses are drawn from clinicians as well as an amalgamation of 3 sources: 1.The Disease Database; 2. Kahan, Scott, Smith, Ellen G. In A Page: Signs and Symptoms. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2004:3; 3. Sailer, Christian, Wasner, Susanne. Differential Diagnosis Pocket. Hermosa Beach, CA: Borm Bruckmeir Publishing LLC, 2002:7 .