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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2013 Apr 19.
Published in final edited form as: Compr Physiol. 2012 Jan 1;2:675–709. doi: 10.1002/cphy.c100081

Table 1.

Branching pattern and dimensions of extra-alveolar arteries and veins

Species Lung studied Total # orders Order # Branches Branch ratio Diameter (mm) Diameter ratio Length (mm) Length ratio Reference
Pulmonary Arteries
Human W 17 17
1		 1
7.29 × 107 		3.11a 30
0.015		 1.60a 90.5
0.13		 1.46a (119, 286)
W
Angiography
Proximal arteries only		 6 6
1		 - - 27.5
1.2		 1.87a - - (121)
L 15 15
1		 2
5.12 × 107 		3.33 15.1
0.020		 1.56 10.1
0.2		 1.49 (127)
LLL only 11 11
1		 - - 1.7
0.019		 1.55a - - (346)
Pig R 22
Generations 		1
21
22 		- - 22.3
0.85
0.71 		- 9.0
4.5
-		 - (176)
Dog R 12 12
1		 1
3.98 × 106 		3.69a 11.1
0.028		 1.67a 49.2
0.34		 1.52a (80)
Cat R 11 11
10
1		 1
4
3.00 × 105 		3.58 5.5
2.7
0.021		 1.72 -
11.9
0.12		 1.81 (348)
Rat L 11 11
1		 1
6.40 × 104 		2.76 1.6
0.013		 1.58 2.3
0.04		 1.60 (135)
Pulmonary Veins
Human W 15 1
15		 7.29 × 107
4		 - 0.013
13.9		 - 0.13
36.7		 - (120)
R 15 1
15		 3.98 × 107
2		 3.33 0.018
13.0		 1.58 0.12
35.7		 1.50 (127)
Pig R 23
Generations 		23
1 		- - 0.77
14.8 		- 3.92
10.8 		- (176)
Dog W 11 1
11		 2.48 × 106
2		 3.76 0.029
8.5		 1.70 0.41
34.4		 1.56 (79)
Cat R 11 1
11		 2.83 × 105
1		 3.52 0.022
4.6		 1.73 0.087
19.2		 1.53* (78, 347)

W, whole lung; L, left lung; R, right lung.

*

Orders 4-10 only

a

calculated from data provided by authors.