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Alveolus (/ æ l ˈ v iː ə l ə s /; pl. alveoli, adj. alveolar) is a general anatomical term for a concave cavity or pit. Uses in anatomy and zoology [ edit ]
An alveolus (plural: alveoli, from Latin alveus, "little cavity"), is an anatomical structure that has the form of a hollow cavity. Mainly found in the lung, the pulmonary alveoli are spherical outcroppings of the respiratory bronchioles and are the primary sites of gas exchange with the blood. Date: December 2007: Source: Own work using:
Almost any type of lung tumor or lung cancer can compress the alveoli and reduce gas exchange capacity. In some cases the tumor will fill the alveoli. [33] Cavitary pneumonia is a process in which the alveoli are destroyed and produce a cavity. As the alveoli are destroyed, the surface area for gas exchange to occur becomes reduced.
The alveoli are the dead end terminals of the "tree", meaning that any air that enters them has to exit via the same route. A system such as this creates dead space, a volume of air (about 150 ml in the adult human) that fills the airways after exhalation and is breathed back into the alveoli before environmental air reaches them.
The alveoli are tiny air sacs in the lungs where gas exchange takes place. The mean number of alveoli in a human lung is 480 million. [11] When the diaphragm contracts, a negative pressure is generated in the thorax and air rushes in to fill the cavity. When that happens, these sacs fill with air, making the lung expand.
Elastin is more concentrated in areas of high stress such as the openings of the alveoli, and alveolar junctions. [19] The connective tissue links all the alveoli to form the lung parenchyma which has a sponge-like appearance. The alveoli have interconnecting air passages in their walls known as the pores of Kohn. [20]
Alveoli are the functional units of the lungs. Alveolar lung diseases are classified as processes that affect these units that ultimately lead to issues with ventilation. There are a number of different causes of insult to the alveoli including build up of fluid, hemorrhage, infection, malignancy and build up of protein and mineral deposits.
The alveoli lack supporting cartilage and so depend on other factors to keep them open. The closing capacity is less than the Functional Residual Capacity , the amount of gas that normally remains in the lungs during respiration .