Surfactant helps to protect the alveoli by:?

Question

A) humidifying the air before it enters

B) warming the air before it enters

C) interfering with the cohesiveness of water molecules, thereby reducing the surface tension of alveolar fluid

D) all of the above

Answer 1

The answer is C.  

Surfactant coats the surface of everyone's lungs, not just newborns.  It reduces surface tension in the alveoli to prevent them from collapsing in on themselves.  Surfactant production is stimulated by respiration in healthy adults.

The reason some newborns have difficulty breathing is because before week 36 of fetal development, the lungs are too immature and have trouble keeping up surfactant production to maintain adequate respiration.  There is an artificial surfactant that can be given until the infant is able to create their own.

Answer 2

I think the answer is C

surfactant is something a newborns lungs are coated with just before birth to make the lungs not want to stick together.  it is sort of like adding a very thin coat of oil to the lungs so they expand properly...........am I making any sense?