What a Smoker's Lungs Look Like Compared to a Nonsmoker's
The Basics
A standard cigarette contains almost 4,000 different chemicals, and when they are inhaled into the lungs via cigarette smoke they begin to damage a person's body, especially his lungs. These chemicals include: nicotine and arsenic, both of which are classified as poisons; methane, which is commonly found in fuel; ammonia, which is commonly found in cleaning products; carbon monoxide, which is deadly if administered in large doses; and hydrogen cyanide.
It's no wonder then that a smoker's lungs are black, which is caused by tar in cigarette smoke literally staining and clogging the lungs. Accordingly, they have to work harder to perform the same basic functions that are easy for a non-smoker.
Air Sacks
A smoker's lungs have fewer air sacks than those of a non-smoker. These air sacks, named alveoli, are important for transferring oxygen into a person's bloodstream. Cigarette smoke essentially kills these alveoli, which cannot grow back. Once they are gone, a smoker will have a harder time doing simple things such as breathing and doing any type of physical activity .
Cilia
Human lungs have hundreds of little hair-like features called cilia that line the walls of the lungs. Their job is to sweep harmful particles that were inhaled through the air out of the lungs. Cigarette smoke paralyzes the cilia, and that allows a smoker's lungs to become filled with dust and dirt, unlike those of a non-smoker.
