L gives us some of the body’s hardest-working organs. Your lungs take in oxygen with every breath, your liver carries out hundreds of jobs from cleaning the blood to storing energy, and your larynx gives you your voice.
Here are more than 20 human body parts that start with L, grouped by body system, each with a short and accurate explanation.
Quick List: Body Parts That Start With L
| Labia | Left atrium | Lunate |
| Lacrimal glands | Left ventricle | Lungs |
| Large intestine | Legs | Lymph nodes |
| Larynx | Lens | Lymphatic vessels |
| Latissimus dorsi | Ligaments | Lips |
| Lateral malleolus | Limbic system | Liver |
| Lumbar vertebrae | Lobule (earlobe) |
Breathing and Voice
Lungs: The two spongy organs in the chest that bring oxygen into the blood and remove carbon dioxide. The right lung has three lobes; the left has two, leaving room for the heart.
Larynx: The voice box, at the top of the windpipe in the front of the neck. It contains the vocal cords, which vibrate to make sound, and it helps protect the airway when you swallow.
Heart and Lymphatic System
Left atrium: The upper-left chamber of the heart. It receives oxygen-rich blood from the lungs and passes it to the left ventricle.
Left ventricle: The lower-left chamber and the strongest part of the heart. Its thick muscular wall pumps oxygen-rich blood out through the aorta to the whole body.
Lymph nodes: Small, bean-shaped glands found throughout the body, especially in the neck, armpits and groin. They filter lymph fluid and contain immune cells that fight infection, which is why they can swell when you are ill.
Lymphatic vessels: A network of thin tubes that collects excess fluid from the tissues and returns it to the bloodstream, passing it through lymph nodes along the way.
Digestive System
Liver: The largest internal organ, in the upper right abdomen under the ribs. It filters toxins from the blood, makes bile to digest fat, stores energy as glycogen and makes many important proteins, including those needed for blood clotting. It can also regrow damaged tissue.
Large intestine: The final part of the digestive tract, about 1.5 metres long. It includes the cecum, colon and rectum, absorbs water and salts, and forms stool.
Lips: The soft, movable folds around the mouth. They help with eating, speaking and facial expression, and are packed with nerve endings that make them very sensitive to touch.
Eyes, Ears and Brain
Lens: The clear, flexible structure behind the iris. It changes shape to focus light on the retina so you can see both near and far. A clouded lens is called a cataract.
Lacrimal glands: The tear glands, one above the outer corner of each eye. They make the tears that keep the eye moist, clean and protected from infection.
Lobule (earlobe): The soft, fleshy bottom part of the outer ear. It contains no cartilage.
Limbic system: A group of connected brain structures, including the hippocampus and amygdala, that plays a central role in emotion, memory and motivation.
Bones, Joints and Muscles
Lumbar vertebrae: The five large vertebrae of the lower back, numbered L1 to L5. They carry much of the upper body’s weight, which is why the lower back is a common site of pain.
Lunate: One of the eight small wrist bones, named for its crescent-moon shape. It sits in the centre of the wrist’s first row.
Lateral malleolus: The bony bump on the outer side of the ankle, formed by the lower end of the fibula.
Ligaments: Strong bands of fibrous tissue that connect bone to bone and keep joints stable. A sprain is an injury to a ligament.
Latissimus dorsi: The broadest muscle of the back, often called the “lats.” It pulls the arms down and back, which is the main movement in pull-ups and swimming strokes.
Legs: The lower limbs that support the body and allow walking, running and jumping. In anatomy, “leg” strictly means the part between the knee and ankle, with the thigh above.
Reproductive System
Labia: The folds of skin that form part of the external female genitals and protect the openings of the vagina and urethra.
Common Mix-Ups to Avoid
- Ligaments vs. tendons: Ligaments connect bone to bone; tendons connect muscle to bone.
- Larynx vs. pharynx: The pharynx is the throat, shared by food and air; the larynx is the voice box below it, for air only.
- Lens vs. cornea: The cornea is the clear front window of the eye; the lens is behind the iris and fine-tunes focus.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which organs start with L?
The liver, lungs, larynx and large intestine are organs that start with L.
What is the largest internal organ that starts with L?
The liver. It is the largest internal organ in the body, weighing about 1.5 kg in adults.
What are easy L body parts for kids?
Legs, lips, lungs and liver are simple words children can learn, and they can feel their lungs fill as they breathe in.
Conclusion
From the lungs that keep you breathing to the liver that keeps your blood clean, the letter L covers some of the body’s most essential organs. Learning them by body system makes them easier to remember and shows how they work together.
Continue the series with body parts that start with K and body parts that start with M.
Where to Learn More
For a clear overview of how the body’s systems fit together, see the Britannica guide to the human body. For trusted health information about body parts and conditions, visit MedlinePlus from the US National Library of Medicine. To check the meaning and pronunciation of tricky words, use the Cambridge Dictionary. You can also jump to the end of the alphabet with body parts that start with Z.
This article is for general education only and is not medical advice. If you have a health concern, please talk to a doctor.
