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The topographic distribution of ventilation in the lungs is determined by the interaction of several factors, including lung shape, airway tree geometry, posture, and tissue deformation. Inter-species differences in lung structure-function and technical difficulty in obtaining high resolution imaging of the upright human lung means that it is not straightforward to experimentally determine the contribution of each of these factors to ventilation distribution. We present a mathematical model for predicting the topological distribution of inhaled air in the upright healthy human lung, based on anatomically structured model geometries and biophysical equations for model function. Gravitational deformation of the lung tissue is predicted using a continuum model. Airflow is simulated in anatomically based conducting airways coupled to geometrically simplified terminal acinar units with varying volume-dependent compliances. The …