How do the external and internal intercostal muscles, diaphragm, and abdominal muscles work in antagonistic pairs to control ventilation?

What causes emphysema, and what are the long-term effects on the lungs and breathing?

What are the causes and consequences of lung cancer, and how does it impact lung function?

Why are different muscles required for inspiration and expiration, and how does muscle contraction contribute to each process?

How do muscle contractions create the pressure changes in the thorax that enable ventilation of the lungs?

How is air transported from the trachea to the alveoli, passing through the bronchi and bronchioles?

How do Type II pneumocytes help prevent the collapse of alveoli, and what role does surfactant play in this process?

What is the function of Type I pneumocytes in the alveoli, and how are they adapted for gas exchange?

How does ventilation maintain concentration gradients of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the air in the alveoli and blood in adjacent capillaries?