Asksia AI LOGO

Sia

Question
Biology
Posted 5 months ago
What role does surfactant play in infant respiratory distress syndrome
Sign in to unlock the answer
Answer from Sia
Posted 5 months ago
Answer
Surfactant reduces surface tension in the lungs, which is crucial for keeping the air sacs open. In infant respiratory distress syndrome, the lack of surfactant leads to collapsed air sacs and difficulty breathing.
Solution
a
Role of Surfactant : Surfactant is a substance that reduces the surface tension of the fluid lining the alveoli in the lungs, preventing the alveoli from collapsing at the end of expiration
b
Infant Respiratory Distress Syndrome (IRDS) : IRDS occurs primarily in premature infants whose lungs have not yet produced enough surfactant. The deficiency of surfactant leads to increased surface tension, alveolar collapse, and impaired gas exchange
Key Concept
Surfactant and Surface Tension
Explanation
Surfactant is critical for reducing surface tension in the alveoli, allowing them to remain open for efficient gas exchange. In IRDS, the lack of surfactant leads to difficulty breathing due to alveolar collapse.

Not the question you are looking for? Ask here!

Enter question by text

Enter question by image

Upgrade to Asksia Pro

Join a AskSia's Pro Plan, and get 24/7 AI tutoring for your reviews, assignments, quizzes and exam preps.

Unlimited chat query usages
Strong algorithms that better know you
Early access to new release features
Study Other Question