Surface Tension and Surfactant: In a Nutshell (Nursing)

00:01 So, let's wrap up this video series.

00:03 Surfactant is made by Type II alveolar cells and lines the inside of the alveolus.

00:09 Surface tension is the tendency of liquids to shrink to the minimum surface area possible.

00:15 The alveoli is lying with a layer of water that allows oxygen to be dissolved and diffused more quickly into the bloodstream.

00:23 Now, water has a relatively high surface tension which if left uncheck would produce a force that would cause the alveolus to collapse.

00:32 So, pulmonary surfactant is that mixture of phospholipids and it lowers surface tension caused by the water in the alveoli.

00:40 Surfactant inserts itself like, here it is, right on our nutshell slide. Surfactant is pushy.

00:46 and it inserts itself in between the water molecules and disrupts the water's ability to bind with each other.

00:53 Surfactant is what allows the alveoli to avoid collapsing and increases lung tissue and compliance.

01:01 Thank you for watching our video today.