A Fight for Breath : Emphysema

Aimed at young people tempted by cigarettes, but its message will register equally well with those whose reach for the cigarette has become habitual. It shows what happens to lung tissues when irritating airborne substances are constantly inhaled. Graphically shows the difference between the functioning of healthy and diseased lungs. Shows evidence on an oscillograph screen between strong, relaxed breathing and gasping, impaired breathing. Illustrates, through colorful animation, the changes that happen in breathing passages and lung air cells. Cross-sectional models show the entire respiratory system, down to the smallest components, the alveoli, where the exchange between oxygen and carbon dioxide. Animation also shows the wave-like motion of the hair-like cilia that help mucous carry away contaminants, and then the breakdown that happens when emphysema develops.