Alveoli

(noun)

alveolus (plural alveoli) a small air sac in the lungs, where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged with the blood.

Related Terms

  • cytokines
  • infection
  • pneumonia
  • apoptosis

Examples of Alveoli in the following topics:

  • Viral Pneumonia

    • Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung that particularly affects microscopic air sacs (alveoli).
    • Once there, the virus will invade the cells that line the airways and the alveoli.
    • White blood cells, in particular lymphocytes, are responsible for activating a variety of chemicals (cytokines) which cause fluid to leak into the alveoli.
    • The combination of cellular destruction and fluid-filled alveoli interrupts the transportation of oxygen into the bloodstream.
  • Pneumocystis Pneumonia

    • The disease attacks the interstitial, fibrous tissue of the lungs, with marked thickening of the alveolar septa and alveoli, leading to significant hypoxia which can be fatal if not treated aggressively.
    • A lung biopsy would show thickened alveolar septa with fluffy eosinophilic exudate in the alveoli.
  • Nematodes

    • Once they have migrated to the lungs, the larvae break into the alveoli and continue to move through the trachea and esophagus where they are eventually coughed up and swallowed.
  • Bacterial Pneumonias

    • Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung, affecting primarily the microscopic air sacs known as alveoli .
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