Alveola

/ælˈviːələ/ noun

Definition

A small cavity, cell, or socket-like structure, especially one of the tiny air sacs found in lungs or similar anatomical features.

Etymology

From Latin 'alveolus,' a diminutive of 'alveus' (belly/hollow); used in anatomy to describe small pocket-like structures.

Kelly Says

Each alveola in your lungs is tinier than a grain of sand, yet your 300 million alveolae together create a surface area equivalent to a tennis court—biology's way of proving that small and numerous beats big every time.

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