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Emphysema Research Paper

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Emphysema is a form of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), a condition that affects the lungs, making it difficult for a person to breath.
The part of the lungs that are affected are the alveoli.
The alveoli start to explode, which causes big air spaces to form.
Because of the large air spaces, the surface area is smaller and so is the amount of oxygen received.

The respiratory system is responsible for the gas exchange that provides the body with oxygen (O2) and eliminates Carbon Dioxide (CO2) from the body. This exchange of gases happens through a process called diffusion, where O2 diffuses into the capillaries, and CO2 diffuses into the lungs. This point of diffusion is the alveoli, located at the end of bronchioles.
This process of diffusion relies on moist, thin, large surface areas. …show more content…

The result of this is that air becomes trapped in the alveoli, and prevents O2 rich air from entering the lungs.
Due to the inability of the lungs to exchange gases and air, those suffering from emphysema experience a chronic cough, difficulty breathing, and an increased risk of lung infections.
The main causes of this damage to the alveoli are air pollutants and tobacco, and particles of chemicals and dust.
In this image, you can see the damage present in the alveoli. Here the alveoli walls have been damaged by emphysema, and as a result, the surface area of the lungs is reduced. The alveoli become one large sack rather than a collection of tiny air sacs.
Above is an actual image of a male rat’s lung with emphysema. This image demonstrates the decreased surface area present within a lung with emphysema.
There are several ways in which emphysema can be diagnosed. Some of these include chest X-rays, computerized tomography—a collection of X-ray images, and blood

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