ABSTRACT
The rst inhalation of a newborn baby requires an extraordinary effort: the lungs become in¤ated and a large ¤uid/air interface is created. This is opposed by the interfacial tension of the alveoli. To overcome this difculty, a special lung surfactant is released from alveolar cells and is spread to form a monolayer at the surface of the alveoli. It reduces the interfacial tension and provides the alveoli with the proper interfacial rheological characteristics that allow easy breathing.
