Introduction: Respiratory Alveoli

Within the human body, there exist a large variety of different tissues organized into organs and organ systems, which provide the means necessary to support life as we know it. Through interactions involving such important systems, acquisition of the substances required for life, and determination of how these substances are to be used, can be achieved.

However, it seems that there are some systems which are fundamental to life, and represent the foundation around which many of the other systems are built. One of these systems in particular is the respiratory system; the means by which gas exchange occurs in the body. This system is dynamic in every sense, containing a multitude of cell types which all have specific, yet complimentary, roles to carry out. While complex, the respiratory system carries out gas exchange by means of its functional unit, the respiratory alveoli, the primary focus of this blog. Here, the developmental, structural, cellular, functional, and pathological characteristics of the alveoli will be discussed with the aim that you will gain a better understanding of how this tiny integral part of life works.

Figure 1: The Human Lungs (Retrieved from

http://www.homelanddefense4u.com/images/Human%20Lungs%20%2057577495.gif)