Week 7 – Discussion Board 2

[Art Liebl]

In at least 250 words talk about the  importance of the alveoli and what it does? Reply to two fellow students by Monday.

[Alejandra Gana]

The alveoli are tiny air sacs in the lungs; they are essential for breathing because they are the primary site where gas exchange occurs.

importance of the alveoli= it allows oxygen to pass from the air we breathe into our bloodstream and let carbon dioxide move from your blood into the lungs to be exhaled.

Alveoli are crucial because they make breathing effective, without them, your body couldn’t get the oxygen it needs or remove carbon dioxide efficiently.

there are about 300-500 million alveoli in the human lungs. together they create a surface area roughly the size of a tennis court, greatly increasing the amount of gas that can be exchanged at once.

Alveoli are coated with a thin layer of fluid and a substance called surfactant that prevents them from collapsing making it easier to breath.

[Emily Arias-Perez]

Great explanation!

[Shannelys Guzman]

Great job explaining!

[Brian Pacheco]

Great job explaining!

[Emily Arias-Perez]

Alveoli are tiny, balloon-shaped air sacs located at the end of the bronchioles the branch-like tubes in the lungs. The alveoli move oxygen and carbon dioxide (CO2) molecules into and out of your bloodstream. Alveoli are the endpoint of the respiratory system. When you breathe, air moves through your respiratory system in the following order:
You inhale air into your mouth or nose.
The air travels down the trachea (windpipe).
The air travels through the airways (bronchi) into your lungs.
The air is directed through smaller and smaller passages (bronchioles).
The air moves through a tiny duct (alveolar duct) and finally enters an individual alveolus (the singular of alveoli).
At this point, the oxygen molecules move through a single layer of lung cells in the alveolus. From there, they travel through a single cell layer in a capillary to enter the bloodstream.
Alveoli are crucial for efficient gas exchange in the lungs, allowing oxygen to enter the bloodstream and carbon dioxide to be expelled, which is vital for maintaining overall respiratory health. By ensuring the proper function of alveoli, we can support better respiratory function and overall well-being.

[Shannelys Guzman]

You did such a good job with your research!

[Brian Pacheco]

Great job researching!

[Dayane Malone]

Thank you for sharing and making it easy to undestand.

[Luanna Vieira Rosa]

You did an an awesome job explaining and making it organized and easy to read!

[Shannelys Guzman]

The human body’s ability to breathe in air, remove what we need from it, and breathe out what we need to get rid of occurs because of the alveoli. The alveoli are where the body exchanges the gases from well within our lungs, where they are located. Air goes from our mouth or nose through the lungs and ending in the alveoli traveling through trachea, then bronchi into even smaller paths the bronchioles to their alveoli at last. The human body contains millions of alveoli. They happen to resemble teeny balloon-shaped air sacs in bunches like cauliflower at the end of each bronchial tube. The alveoli are surrounded by blood vessels, but each alveolus itself is clothed in a dense network of capillaries to always be rapidly taking in that breath. One singular thin wall of cells divides the alveoli and their surrounding capillaries into the bloodstream. Alveoli make it possible for our bloodstream to always be flowing with rich oxygenated blood. This is where it takes place: breathing, where gas is continuously and quickly passed through to the vessels carrying it through, supplying the body with oxygen while at the same time depositing out through our lungs the waste of carbon dioxide we don’t need that can essentially be harmful to our bodies. The alveolus is so important to the human body some people fail to notice how much of a role it plays in our lives daily, involuntarily just working 24/7 to give us life.  The alveolus is made up of different parts. First, it has a wide surface area inside our lungs—you wouldn’t believe it, about 130 square meters—to make sure it performs its job correctly. Our body produces a fluid named surfactant, which lines our alveoli. The production of this fluid comes from the type 2 alveolar cells. This fluid gives our alveoli protection essentially from collapsing while expansion occurs during breathing.

[Brian Pacheco]

Great job!

[Dayane Malone]

Thank you for sharing!

[Brian Pacheco]

The alveoli play a critical role in keeping the body alive by enabling gas exchange. They are tiny, balloon-like air sacs that are located at the ends of the bronchioles within the lungs and are the most essential structures in the respiratory system. The primary function of the alveoli is to allow oxygen to enter the bloodstream while removing carbon dioxide from the body, which is a process that occurs every time you inhale and exhale. Each one is surrounded by capillaries, which are extremely small blood vessels. When you inhale, oxygen-rich air fills the alveoli, and at the same time, carbon dioxide (waste produced by cells during metabolism) diffuses from the blood into the alveoli so it can be exhaled. This step is so important because without oxygen cells cannot produce energy, and without removing carbon dioxide, the body would become toxic within minutes. An important feature of the alveoli is the presence of surfactant (a slippery substance that reduces surface tension and prevents the alveoli from collapsing). Surfactant makes sure breathing runs smoothly. Another important function of alveoli is the regulation of the body’s pH balance through the removal of carbon dioxide.If functioning correctly they will support healthy oxygen levels and energy levels.

[Dayane Malone]

The alveoli are tiny air sacs inside our lungs and they play one of the most important roles in helping us stay alive. Even though they are extremely small the body depends on them every second. We have millions of alveoli, and they give our lungs a huge surface area so we can take in enough oxygen and remove carbon dioxide. Without the alveoli working properly the body would not get the oxygen it needs.

When we breathe in, air travels through our nose or mouth, down the airways, and finally reaches the alveoli. Each alveolus is surrounded by many tiny blood vessels called capillaries. The walls of the alveoli and the capillaries are very thin, which makes it easy for gases to move across them. This is where gas exchange happens. Oxygen passes from the air inside the alveoli into the blood, and carbon dioxide moves from the blood into the alveoli so it can be breathed out. This process goes on constantly day and night without us even thinking about it.

The alveoli are important because every organ in the body needs oxygen to work. If the alveoli cannot do their job, oxygen levels drop and carbon dioxide builds up. This can make a person feel short of breath, weak, dizzy, or very tired. Illnesses such as pneumonia, asthma, emphysema, and COVID-19 can affect the alveoli, making it harder for gas exchange to happen. That is why people with lung diseases often struggle to breathe and may need medical help or oxygen support.

In simple words, the alveoli are the places where our body “picks up” oxygen and “drops off” carbon dioxide. They keep our blood clean and full of the oxygen we need to stay alive. Even though they are tiny, their job is extremelly important.

[Luanna Vieira Rosa]

Great explanation!

[Luanna Vieira Rosa]

The alveoli are tiny air sacs in the lungs, and even though they are very small, they play one of the most important roles in the entire respiratory system. When we breathe in, air travels through the nose or mouth, down the windpipe, into the bronchial tubes, and finally reaches the alveoli. This is the point where the real work of breathing happens. The alveoli are responsible for the exchange of gases, which means they let oxygen enter the bloodstream and allow carbon dioxide to leave the body.

Each alveolus is surrounded by very thin blood vessels called capillaries. Their thin walls make it easy for oxygen to move from the inside of the alveolus into the blood. Once the oxygen enters the bloodstream, the heart pumps it to all the organs and tissues in the body so they can function properly. At the same time, carbon dioxide— which is a waste product the body needs to get rid of— moves from the blood into the alveoli. When we breathe out, that carbon dioxide leaves the body. Without this exchange, we wouldn’t be able to survive, because our cells need oxygen to produce energy and stay alive.

The alveoli are also important because they increase the surface area of the lungs. Even though they are tiny, there are millions of them, creating a huge surface for gas exchange. This allows the body to take in enough oxygen with every breath. If the alveoli become damaged, as in conditions like pneumonia, asthma, or COPD, the body can’t get enough oxygen, and it becomes hard to breathe.

Overall, the alveoli are essential because they make breathing effective, keep oxygen flowing through the body, and remove harmful waste gases so we can stay healthy.

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