• Question: in the lungs how many muscles are uesed to breath

    Asked by joshprudhoe12 to Bob, Katie, Nisha, Sallie, Vee on 4 Jul 2012.
    • Photo: Bob Bonwick

      Bob Bonwick answered on 4 Jul 2012:

      in the lungs themselves, none. But you do have a very big muscle under your lungs called the diaphragm, this muscle contracts and pulls the lungs down to inflate them, the rib cage muslces help to deflate them when you breath out.

    • Photo: Sallie Baxendale

      Sallie Baxendale answered on 4 Jul 2012:

      There aren’t any muscles actaully in the lungs, but muscles in front and behind help them to draw in breath and let it out again

    • Photo: Katie McDonald

      Katie McDonald answered on 5 Jul 2012:

      Yes, outside of the lungs you have your diaphragm, which separates your heart and lungs from all your abdominal organs. It’s the main muscle used in breathing. If you breathe deeper you also use your intercostal muscles (between your ribs) as well as muscles in your neck and back if you’re really struggling. Using your neck muscles to breathe is actually a clinical sign of distress in breathing and doctors use that as part of their assessment of people with asthma and things.

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