alveoli

Alveoli

Small air sacs or cavities in the lung that give the tissue a honeycomb appearance and expand its surface area for the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide.

Mentioned in: Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Atelectasis, Blastomycosis, Chlamydial Pneumonia, Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease, Emphysema, Hookworm Disease, Pneumocystis Pneumonia, Pneumonia, Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis, Pulmonary Fibrosis, Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection

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alveoli

[al·vē′ō·lī]

See alveolus.

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alveolus [al-ve´o-lus] (pl. alve´oli) (L.)

a little hollow, as the socket of a tooth, a follicle of an acinous gland, or a pulmonary alveolus. adj., adj alve´olar.

dental alveoli the cavities or sockets of either jaw, in which the roots of the teeth are embedded.

pulmonary alveoli small outpouchings along the walls of the alveolar sacs and alveolar ducts; through them, gas exchange takes place between alveolar gas and pulmonary capillary blood.