What are lung apices?

The lung apices are the tips or the highest points in both the left and right lungs. Each lung has an apex that extends slightly above the level of the first rib.

The lung apices are covered by the parietal pleura, which is the outer layer of the pleural sac. The pleural sac is a two-layered membrane that lines the thoracic cavity and surrounds the lungs. The parietal pleura is attached to the inner wall of the thoracic cavity, while the visceral pleura is attached to the surface of the lungs. The pleural cavity is the space between the parietal and visceral pleurae.

The lung apices are important because they are the sites where the trachea and bronchi enter the lungs. The trachea is the windpipe, and it divides into two bronchi, one for each lung. The bronchi then branch into smaller and smaller airways called bronchioles, which eventually lead to the alveoli. The alveoli are the tiny air sacs in the lungs where gas exchange occurs.