Lingula of left lung

The left lung, unlike the right does not have a middle lobe. However the term lingula is used to denote a projection of the upper lobe of the left lung that serves as the homologue. This area of the left lobe - the lingula, means little tongue (in Latin) and is often referred to as the tongue in the lung. There are two bronchopulmonary segments of the lingula: superior and inferior. It is thought that the lingula of the left lung is the remnant of the middle lobe, which has been lost through evolution.