Which of the following is true regarding the 'blood-air barrier' thickness?
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Correct answer: It averages 0.1 to 1.5 micrometers in thickness
To allow for rapid passive diffusion of gases, the barrier must be as thin as possible. In many areas, it measures only a fraction of a micrometer, representing one of the thinnest biological membranes in the body.
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More Pulmonary Capillaries questions
- Pulmonary capillary endothelial cells are joined by which type of junction to prevent fluid leakage?
- What happens to pulmonary capillaries during alveolar expansion (inspiration)?
- What provides the primary force for the movement of gases across the pulmonary capillary wall?
- The absence of which structure in pulmonary capillaries distinguishes them from those in the kidneys or small intestine?
- Under electron microscopy, the cytoplasm of the pulmonary capillary endothelial cell appears:
- What is the primary source of blood for the pulmonary capillary beds involved in gas exchange?