Which statement about bronchopulmonary segments is correct?

• A They are separated from each other by intersegmental septa containing segmental arteries
• B Each is pyramidal with its base toward the hilum and apex toward the pleural surface
• C The right lung has eight segments and the left lung has ten
• D Each is aerated by a segmental (tertiary) bronchus and supplied by a segmental branch of the pulmonary artery ✓

Explanation

Each bronchopulmonary segment receives one tertiary bronchus and a corresponding branch of the pulmonary artery, making it the smallest surgically resectable unit of lung. Pulmonary veins run intersegmentally, not within segments, so option A is wrong. The segment is pyramidal with apex at the hilum and base at the pleura, the reverse of option B. The usual count is ten segments on the right and eight to ten on the left depending on whether the lingular segments are counted separately.

Reference: Gray's Anatomy for Students, 4th ed.

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Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.