ANATOMY

Detailed explanation-1: -In emphysema, the inner walls of the lungs’ air sacs (alveoli) are damaged, causing them to eventually rupture. This creates one larger air space instead of many small ones and reduces the surface area available for gas exchange. Emphysema is a lung condition that causes shortness of breath.

Detailed explanation-2: -(EMP-fuh-ZEE-muh) A disorder affecting the alveoli (tiny air sacs) of the lungs. The transfer of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the lungs takes place in the walls of the alveoli. In emphysema, the alveoli become abnormally inflated, damaging their walls and making it harder to breathe.

Detailed explanation-3: -Emphysema occurs when the tiny air sacs of the lungs (alveoli) become damaged and enlarged, causing breathlessness. Each lung has an average of 480 million alveoli, according to a report in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Detailed explanation-4: -At the cellular level, emphysema is characterized by alveolar epithelial cell death and impaired re-epithelialization (Figure 1), which causes alveolar wall destruction and decreased surface area in the lung parenchyma for gas exchange (4).

Detailed explanation-5: -Emphysema can result from increased alveolar wall cell death and/or failure of alveolar wall maintenance (1). The literature indicates that chronic inflammation and increased oxidative stress contribute to increased destruction and/or impaired lung maintenance and repair in emphysema.