Description: This 3D medical animation shows how smoking tobacco damages lung tissue leading to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD, the 4th leading cause of death in the U.S. The animation shows smoke traveling down the trachea into the lungs, followed by a close-up view of the lung's alveolar sacs (alveoli). Over time, these air sacs break down (emphysema) and form pockets of useless lung tissue called 'blebs' which trap air in the lungs and reduce lung volume. The net effect is that the person cannot get enough oxygen to survive.
Last Updated: Nov 28th, 2018