Britannica
Sources used in this answer
What structures enter and leave the lungs at the hilum?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
human respiratory system
The lungs serve as the gas-exchanging organ for the process of respiration.
The hilum serves as the primary point of entry and exit for structures connecting the lungs to the rest of the body. The following structures pass through this circumscribed area:12
- Airways: The main bronchi enter the lungs at the hilum to facilitate the passage of air.32
- Blood Vessels: The pulmonary arteries enter the lungs to deliver deoxygenated blood, while pulmonary veins exit the lungs to return oxygenated blood to the heart. Additionally, bronchial vessels associated with the nutritional blood supply of the airways pass through this region.342
- Lymphatic Vessels: Lymphatic vessels drain lymph from the lung tissue and exit toward the mediastinum through the hilum.32
- Nerves: Fibres of the autonomic nervous system, including branches from the vagus nerve and the sympathetic trunk, penetrate the lungs at the hilum to form the pulmonary autonomic nerve plexus.32