Key Terms
- apoptosis
- cellular death
- asthma
- a chronic disease process clinically characterized by recurrent inflammation and airway narrowing, limiting gas exchange in the lungs
- chronic bronchitis
- when the airway lining experiences too much inflammation, leading to increased mucus production
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- chronic pulmonary diseases known as emphysema and chronic bronchitis
- emphysema
- damage between the walls in the alveoli that exchange gas in the lungs
- free radicals
- compounds that take part in the cellular destruction mechanism of phagocytosis through macrophages and granulocytes
- hyperemia
- a condition that occurs as a result of a higher-than-normal blood flow
- pneumonia
- a condition that leads to inflammation of the lung parenchyma caused by infection, chronic pulmonary diseases, ventilator use, or aspiration; pneumonia can lead to chronic damage, such as lung fibrosis
- pulmonary embolism
- a thrombus that becomes dislodged and travels to the lungs, preventing the natural flow of blood within the pulmonary artery or its branches
- pulmonary fibrosis
- scarring of the lung tissues that causes stiffening, limiting lung function
- respiratory tract infections (RTI)
- microorganisms that infect the upper and lower respiratory tract and lead to symptoms such as fever, sore throat, cough, chest pain, dyspnea, and myalgia
- rhinitis
- inflammation that causes symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, and postnasal drip