Question

1. What is surfactant, where does it come from, what does it do and what does it cause if not present.

Answer 1

Surfactants

       Surfactant is a group of chemical compounds composed of lipids and proteins which lowers the surface tension between the two liquids, a liquid and a gas and a solid and a liquid.

      Surfactant production in the human beings are begins in the Type II alveolar epithelial cells and it will be stored in the lamellar bodies and is secreted in to the lumen of the alveolus.

      The main function of surfactant is to reduce the surface tension of the air/ liquid within the alveoli of the lung which will prevent the alveoli from collapsing.

      If the surfactant is not presents, it will cause the tissue surrounding the air sacs in the alveoli sticks together after exhalation which will leads to the collapse of alveoli.