Question

Describe three important and/or unique structural factors that must necessarily be present in the alveolar environment, and how these three structural factors contribute to ventilation and gas exchange.

Answer 1

The structural factors that must be present in alveolar environment for efficient gas exchange and ventilation are -

A. Large surface area

B. Thin lining of alveolar membrane

C. Moist surface

Large surface area increases the amount of gas that can diffuse into and out of the lungs. Because of enormous number of alveoli,the surface area of lungs is very large.

Thin lining of the the alveolar membrane is single cell layered thin membrane that causes easy diffusion of gases across it due to short diffusion distance.

Moist surface - cells in the alveolar wall secretes fluid that makes its inner wall moist allowing gases to easily dissolve and get exchanged