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Question:

ttt12
ttt12
Student
High School - 11th Grade

What is the fluid secreted inside the air sacs to dissolve the gases?

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Posted by ttt12 on Tuesday May 12, 2009 at 1:41 PM and tagged with anatomy, science.

Answers:

  1. cambtone
    cambtone Teacher
    College - Senior

    eNotes Editor

    I assume you mean in mammalian lungs, where the mucus is important in helping gaseous exchange.  This exchange is controlled by a membrane protein, which regulates Chloride efflux (leakage) from lung epithelial cells.  Its main effect is to make the mucus fluid, so your answer is probably water.  This fails in people with Cystic Fibrosis, where not enough water leaks into the mucus.  This causes sticky mucus and infections.  It is due to a defect in a gene which causes expression of a defective protein.

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    Posted by cambtone on Tuesday June 2, 2009 at 11:59 AM