Form and Function in the Human Lung

Abstract

This small volume contains a wealth of valuable information concerning the structure and physiology of the normal and abnormal lung. Its contributors include most of the outstanding workers in the field. Many of the concepts presented are quite new, stimulating, and, indeed, occasionally controversial. The volume is divided into five sections based on the five sessions of the symposium: (1) the structure of the lung and the changes induced by disease, (2) factors determining gas concentration in the alveoli and the role of regional and stratified inhomogeneity, (3) factors determining blood flow in the pulmonary circulation, (4) the development of pulmonary hypertension and its relation to structural changes, and (5) the diagnosis of emphysema during life. Each section in turn is composed of two to four well-written and welledited chapters. There is little or no overlap between sections and chapters, a fault commonly encountered in multiauthored symposia. The discussion which