Function of the Lungs

With each breath the lungs take oxygen from the air and release carbon dioxide into the air. Breathing is automatic - you don’t have to think about it.  A control center in the brain regulates the rate and size of each breath. Healthy children increase their breathing rate and the size of each breath when they exercise. The muscles in and around the chest wall are important in the breathing process. The lungs also have many ways of protecting against infections.