How the lungs capture oxygen

artiteacher Surfactant prevents collapse

artiteacher The magic of the alveoli

Five hundred million spheres, / paper-thin frontiers, / breathing in deep!

artiteacher The ultra-thin barrier

artiteacher A soap-like substance keeps your microscopic air sacs from snapping shut.

artiteacher Oxygen crosses a membrane thinner than a single strand of spider silk.

BETA

artiteacher The magic of the alveoli

Fun Fact

Alveoli count: A healthy adult has up to 500 million microscopic air sacs, providing a massive surface area for absorbing oxygen.

Glossary

alveolus (noun)
A tiny, thin-walled cavity in the lungs where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged with the blood. A healthy pair of adult human lungs contains approximately 480 million of these microscopic air sacs.

Gossip

Which lung superpower would you prefer to have?

Quiz

Roughly how many hemoglobin molecules are packed into a single red blood cell?

artiteacher A tennis court in your chest

Quiz

What is the estimated total surface area of the alveoli in a pair of human lungs?

artiteacher Red blood cells as cargo ships

Quiz

Approximately how many alveoli are found in a healthy pair of adult lungs?

Quiz

How many oxygen molecules can a single hemoglobin protein bind to at once?

Quiz

When did scientists first discover the life-saving role of pulmonary surfactant?

Quiz

Which molecule inside red blood cells chemically binds and carries oxygen?

Quiz

What is the function of pulmonary surfactant in the lungs?

Quiz

How thin is the blood-air barrier in the human alveoli?