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Question
Biology
Posted 10 months ago
What role does surfactant play in infant respiratory distress syndrome
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Answer from Sia
Posted 10 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.

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