Surfactant Effects Term Paper

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Surfactant Effects

Surfactants are organic compounds which are amphiphilic which means that they contain both hydrophilic groups the heads and the hydrophobic groups the tails. Therefore surfactants are made up of water insoluble and water soluble components. They diffuse in water and adsorb in water and air interfaces or even oil water interfaces.

Surfactants are therefore compounds which reduce the surface tension in liquids, between solids and liquids or interfacial tension which occurs between two liquids. For this reason surfactants act as wetting agents, detergents, dispersants, emulsifiers or foaming agents.

Within the human body surfactants occur as a mixture of proteins and fats that are made in the lungs. The surfactants act as coat for the alveoli, with this the alveoli is prevented from sticking together when babies breathe out hence without this the lungs would not expand. Therefore the surfactants reduces surface tension within in the lungs thus enabling the alveoli within the lungs to expand.in this case the surfactant acts a s a biological detergent within the lungs.

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The alveoli are normally tiny sacs which are found in the lungs where there is capturing of oxygen from the air which has been inhaled and taken into the bloodstream. The alveoli are usually very small and their surfaces are moist. Normally, in any wet surface there is the sticking together as a result of attraction between water molecules. Therefore surfactants are important in the alveoli because when they combine with water within the alveoli they lead to a reduced surface tension of water within the alveoli (Lynch, 2010).

Before one is born approximately three to four weeks, lungs begin the production of surfactants. When one is born and they take their first breath the alveoli which is fluid filled has to be opened in order to allow air in. without the presence of surfactants this would not be possible. This is the reason why infants born prematurely normally experience difficulty in breathing. Premature infants are born even before their lungs have been able to make….....

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