Question #e5d50
1 Answer
Feb 15, 2018
The surface area of the alveolus decreases, which leads to less effective respiration.
Explanation:
When an emphysema occurs, an alveolus breaks, and it merges with another one, forming a large alveolus. The surface area therefore is decreased. Since oxygen and carbon dioxide simply diffuse through the membrane of the alveolus through to the capillaries, the more surface area there is, the more effectively this diffusion can occur (more room on the membrane for diffusion).
