Welcome to my website on lung function and failure.  This website is intended to provide a compilation of information and ongoing research focused on saving you, the reader, the time it takes to look for the information yourself.  Lungs are undoubtedly one of the most important organs in the body.  No fresh oxygen = no energy.  And as every beginning scientist learns in class, energy is the all important commodity that organisms need to perform work.

    The essence of lung function is gas exchange.  More specifically the expulsion of CO₂ for O₂.  Lungs basically provide a place in the body to efficiently exchange gases through little air sacs known as alveoli.   Under most circumstances we breathe in and out 20-30 times a minutes, but under stress such as during exercise, this rate can jump to 40-50 breathes a minute.  When the stress is removed, the breathing rate returns to normal.  The first sign of lung disease may often be increased respiratory rates during times of rest. 

    Ok, so lung disease is out there.  The question then becomes, what causes lung disease?  There are a variety of agents that affect lung function.  Generally viruses, bacteria, and environmental toxins are the  usual suspects.  This website will focus on asthma and its causes