Thoracic Key

Introduction The immune system is broadly conceptualized as having two separate but interconnected arms. In evolutionary terms the innate immune arm is an older and more primitive system that has…

Introduction The major function of the lung is to facilitate gas exchange between the air and blood compartments, which takes place in the alveolar region of the lung. In the…

Introduction The lung has two essential, interdependent functions. One function is ventilation-perfusion matching to deliver oxygen to the body and to remove carbon dioxide that is produced by the body…

Introduction When animals migrated from sea to land, gills were exchanged for lungs, thus increasing the surface area for gas exchange, and the respiratory organ (lungs) was relocated deep within…

Introduction This chapter discusses how the distal lung epithelium regulates lung fluid balance by active ion transport mechanisms across both the alveolar and the distal airway epithelium. Both experimental models…

Introduction The movement of gases in and out of the respiratory system may be described by the physical laws that govern pressure, volume, and flow of gas. The study of…

Introduction The pulmonary circulation is interposed between the right and left ventricles with the following primary functions: (1) to deliver the entire cardiac output under low pressure from the right…

Introduction The human genome comprises approximately 3.2 billion base pairs. With the exception of identical twins, each human being has a unique DNA sequence. There are at least 10 million…

Introduction Multicellular life requires the use of oxygen for the generation of high-energy compounds (e.g., adenosine triphosphate) to sustain the metabolic activities of complex organisms. Because multicellular organisms depend on…