Airspace Enlargement
Airspace Enlargement - Related Videos
01:22
Enlargement of the Plasma Membrane
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2023
Cell division and enlargement are processes that require precise control. The control ensures that cell division cannot proceed unless the cell has grown to a specific size. A spherical, dividing cell requires an approximately 1.6X increase in its surface area to double its volume. The secretory pathway also has a significant role in cell membrane enlargement. Secretory vesicles that bud off from the Golgi apparatus and later fuse with the plasma membrane during exocytosis are a major source of...
09:11
Using Expansion Microscopy to Physically Enlarge Whole-Mount Drosophila Embryos for Super-Resolution Imaging
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Cited by 5 •
2023
Here, a protocol for the implementation of expansion microscopy in early Drosophila embryos to achieve super-resolution imaging using a conventional laser-scanning confocal microscope is presented.
07:41
Quantification of Levator Ani Hiatus Enlargement by Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Males and Females with Pelvic Organ Prolapse
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Cited by 2 •
2019
Here we present a protocol to standardize the measurement of the levator ani hiatus size by magnetic resonance imaging. The purpose is to extract biomechanical inferences from image analysis by comparing resting and straining values in patients of both sexes with pelvic prolapse, using consistent anatomical bony landmarks.
06:56
Influenza Virus Propagation in Embryonated Chicken Eggs
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Cited by 105 •
2015
Fertile chicken eggs are widely used to produce large amounts of human influenza A virus as they provide a convenient and cost-effective system to prove high yields of virus.
05:19
A Simple Method for Imaging Arabidopsis Leaves Using Perfluorodecalin as an Infiltrative Imaging Medium
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Cited by 30 •
2012
We describe the use of perfluorodecalin as an infiltrative mounting medium. This is a simple method for improving depth of imaging in Arabidopsis thaliana leaf tissue with minimal physiological impact.
FAQs
Destruction of alveolar walls and septa removes part of the lung’s normal elastic recoil, the restoring force that helps the lungs return toward their resting size. As recoil declines, respiratory mechanics become less effective and airflow limitation can contribute to breathlessness. This links the microscopic structural injury directly to impaired respiratory function in obstructive lung disease.
When septa are destroyed, neighboring distal airspaces can merge into larger spaces. The resulting architecture provides less surface area for gas exchange than the original arrangement of intact airspaces. This structural loss helps explain why airspace enlargement is clinically important: it is not merely a change in size, but a change that can compromise the lung’s ability to support normal respiratory function.
Pathological enlargement is interpreted as a sign of structural injury rather than accepted as normal variation. Evidence that alveolar walls or septa have been destroyed supports the abnormal interpretation, especially when the finding occurs with obstructive lung disease or related respiratory symptoms. This distinction prevents an enlarged air-containing space from being considered significant solely because of its appearance.
Histological examination can demonstrate the tissue changes underlying the enlarged spaces, particularly destruction of alveolar walls and septa and the merging of neighboring spaces. That microscopic evidence helps connect an observed structural pattern with loss of recoil and reduced gas-exchange surface area. It also provides a basis for studying how chronic lung injury produces functional respiratory impairment.
Chest imaging helps clinicians recognize the pattern of enlarged air-containing spaces within the lungs and place it in a broader assessment of obstructive lung disease. The finding can then be considered alongside symptoms and other clinical information to evaluate disease progression. Comparing assessments over time may also help evaluate whether treatment response is associated with structural change.
Recognizing this pattern can help explain symptoms such as breathlessness by showing a structural basis for impaired respiratory function. It may also support assessment of obstructive lung disease, disease progression, and treatment response. In medical research, the same finding provides a way to relate chronic lung injury to changes in lung architecture and respiratory performance.