The average adult lung contains an estimated 300 million alveoliAny of the many tiny air sacs of the lungs which allow for rapid gaseous exchange.. Each alveolus is supplied by many tiny blood vessels called capillaries. For oxygen and carbon dioxide to be exchanged, they must cross the alveolar capillary membrane. This exchange is promoted by diffusion — the passage of gas molecules through respiratory membranes. In diffusion, oxygen passes to the blood, and carbon dioxide, a byproduct of cellular metabolism, passes out of the blood and is channeled away through exhalation.”
Big Fat Reference Guide – AlphaNet
Individuals with Alpha-1 emphysemaObstructive airway disease in which the walls of the alveoli (air sacs) are damaged or destroyed. or COPD frequently have abnormal PFTPulmonary Function Test - A test that is designed to measure how well the lungs are working. You go into a glass box and blow into a tube hooked up to a computer. results that indicate airway obstruction and air trapping. Similar changes can be seen in a variety of other lung conditions, such as asthma, chronicA condition or illness that arises slowly over days or weeks and may or may not resolve with treatment. It is the opposite of acute. bronchitis, and smoking-related emphysemaObstructive airway disease in which the walls of the alveoli (air sacs) are damaged or destroyed.. If the lung function testing includes a diffusing capacity, or DLCO, then a low DLCO value is highly suggestive that these obstructive changes are due to emphysemaObstructive airway disease in which the walls of the alveoli (air sacs) are damaged or destroyed..
Big Fat Reference Guide – AlphaNet
As you inhale, you are breathing a test mixture of gases that usually include an inert gas such as helium and a gas that mimics oxygen in the way it crosses into the blood and binds with the red blood cells (carbon monoxide or CO). You are then asked to exhale, and the machine takes a sample of the gases you exhale. By comparing the inhaled gas concentrations with those you exhale, the computed results give a reading of how well oxygen moves from your air sacs into your blood. Results of this test can provide information to your physician about the amount of damage or abnormality that is present where the air and the blood meet in your air sacs or alveoliAny of the many tiny air sacs of the lungs which allow for rapid gaseous exchange..
Big Fat Reference Guide – AlphaNet