alleryStart learning →About how large is the epithelial surface area across which the lungs exchange gases?
AAbout 7 square metres
BAbout 0.7 square metres
CAbout 700 square metres
DAbout 70 square metres
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. About 70 square metres
1. The main job of the lungs is exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide with atmospheric air.
2. To do that they present a very large epithelial surface area of about 70 square meters.
3. That surface is also highly permeable to gases, so the fourth option is correct.
4. The other figures are out by a factor of ten or more in each direction.
_Source: OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology (CC BY 4.0), Ch 22 "The Respiratory System", section 22.2 The Lungs_
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