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Studying Lung Surfactant

A Catalyst article about the inner surface of lungs, which is coated with surfactant, allowing oxygen to enter the bloodstream. When babies are born very prematurely they can lack this surfactant, and this can make it very difficult for them to breathe. This is called Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS). This article looks at the background science of lung function, the development of treatments for RDS and future research directions.

This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2007, Volume 18, Issue 2.

Catalyst is a science magazine for students aged 14-19 years. Annual subscriptions to print copies of the magazine can be purchased from Mindsets.

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