Biologically Active Substance
pulmonary surfactant
[ puhl-muh-ner-ee, poo l- ser-fak-tuh nt ]
Subclass of:
Respiratory System Agents
Definitions related to pulmonary surfactants:
-
(lung surfactant) Pulmonary surfactant lines the lung epithelium and lowers surface tension to prevent collapse at end-expiration. Deficiency of pulmonary surfactant results in respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in premature infants. Lung surfactant is synthesized in alveolar type II cells, stored in lamellar bodies and secreted via exocytosis.NCI ThesaurusU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
-
Phospholipids secreted by the great alveolar cells into alveoli and respiratory air passages which contributes to the elastic property of pulmonary tissue.CRISP ThesaurusNational Institutes of Health, 2006
-
Secretion produced by Type 2 pulmonary alveolar cell.Foundational Model of AnatomyUniversity of Washington, 2017
-
Substances and drugs that lower the SURFACE TENSION of the mucoid layer lining the PULMONARY ALVEOLI.NLM Medical Subject HeadingsU.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
Return to OpenMD Medical Dictionary
> P
This content should not be used in place of medically-reviewed decision support reference material or professional medical advice. Some terms may have alternate or updated definitions not reflected in this set. The definitions on this page should not be considered complete or up to date.