WASHINGTON, Sept. 6, 2022 – Alveoli are the basic functional units of the human respiratory system, acting as tiny air sacs that exchange gases. Air inhaled through the mouth and nose flows into the ...

Specialized lung cells appear in the developing fetus much earlier than scientists previously thought. A new animal study (“Early lineage specification defines alveolar epithelial ontogeny in the ...

The lung provides an extensive surface area mediating gas exchange between epithelial cells and the capillaries in the alveolus. Since lung cells are in direct contact with environmental gases and ...

Alveoli are gas-exchange sacs lined by squamous alveolar type (AT) 1 cells and cuboidal, surfactant-secreting AT2 cells. Classical studies suggested that AT1 arise from AT2 cells, but recent studies ...

You have millions of air sacs (alveoli) in your lungs. These air sacs move oxygen into your blood. Alveolar walls contain surfactant. This is a substance made of fats, proteins, and other substances.

Lung diseases are some of the most common medical conditions in the world. Tens of millions of people have lung disease in the U.S. alone. Smoking, infections, and genes cause most lung diseases. Your ...