Name of surfactant that breaks surface tension in the lungs?

Breathing properly requires the presence of what compound that affects surface tension of alveoli in the lungs?

The correct answer is Surfactant

What is the detergent-like substance which reduces the surface tension in the lungs?

Surfactant! or 'Pulmonary Surfactant' Just had one of those moments too :)

Why is surfactant important in alveoli?

Surfactant reduces the surface tension within in your lungs, your alveoli have a wet surface and if surfactant were not present they would stick together causing a difficulty in expanding your thoracic cavity-so you wouldn't be able to breath without surfactant.

What is an example of an organism that benefits from reducing surface tension?

Humans benefit greatly from the work of Pulmonary surfactant which reduces the surface tension in the alveoli of the lungs. This reduction in alveolar surface tension prevents the alveoli from collapsing and thus causing suffocation.

What substance is made by the lungs to help reduce the surface tension of water in the alveolar?

Pulmonary surfactant...see link for more information.

What would in surfactant absence?

In the event of surfactant absence in the lungs they would collapse and pulminary functioning would be reduced dramatically. Surfactants are critical in maintaining proper lung function by reducing surface tension and making it easier to breathe.

What is the role of surfactant in the lungs?

AnswerSurfactant reduces surface tension, so that the alveoli in the lungs are able to expand. It is essentially a biological detergent.Surfactant reduces surface tension. Without surfactant, the wet surfaces of the alveoli in your lungs would stick together and your lungs would not be able to expand - so, you would not be able to breath. The alveoli are the tiny sacs in your lungs where oxygen is captured from inhaled air and absorbed into your bloodstream. They are very small and are have moist surfaces. Wet surfaces stick together due to surface tension, which is caused by the attraction that water has for itself. To demonstrate how strong surface tension is, take two small glass panes, wet them slightly and press them together until there is no air between them. Now try to pull them apart. It's extremely difficult (you usually have to slide them apart because they will not separate otherwise). However, if you mix dish detergent in the water first, it will be much easier to pull them apart, because the detergent is a surfactant - a substance which combines with water and by doing so reduces the surface tension of the water.About three to four weeks before birth, you lungs begin to produce surfactant. When you are born and take your first breath, you have to open the fluid-filled alveoli to allow air in. Without surfactant, this would be nearly impossible, which is which very premature infants have so much difficulty breathing. These very early preemies are given surfactant (either artificial or derived from calf lungs) down a tube going to their lungs, to help their alveoli open and allow air entry.Some medical conditions cause loss of surfactant. In pulmonary edema, fluid from the blood invades and floods the alveoli. Among other problems, this causes dilution and washout of the surfactant, so that alveoli are more likely to collapse. Inflammation of the lungs also causes reduced surfactant production, so again the alveoli collapse due to increased surfaced tension. In cystic fibrosis, excess mucus production displaces the surfactant (and mucus has an even higher surface tension than water). Patients with CF are given extra surfactant to make up for this loss and to provide enough surfactant that it can act on the mucus as well as the normal alveolar fluid.

Why does surfactant reduce surface tension?

It prevents a pleural friction rub. Its like a lubricant for the lungs to move up and down without any friction.

Surfactant helps to prevent the alveoli from collapsing by what?

Interfering with the cohesiveness of water molecules, thereby reducing the surface tension of alveolar fluid.

How does surfactant affect the total air flow into lungs?

Surfactant is similar to a detergent, it keeps the fluid coating the lining of the alveoli from creating surface tension. This allows the alveoli to expand without hindrance, and allows greater air flow.

The role of surfactant in relation to water?

Surfactant is used in the lungs to break water tension within the alveoli. Without it, the alveoli will collapse and you will suffocate and die.

Which liquid has the lowest surface tension?

if you are doing a science project......you might wanna try diffrent liquids on the effect of (surface tension).... milk water juice paperclip water is best for the atraction of ST. milk and the juice is what reduces ST the best The body contains a natural surface tension reducing substance called surfactant.It is found in the lungs and prevents the lungs from collapsing due to surface tension when you exhale