lungs

Health & Safety

We Still Don't Fully Understand The Label 'Asymptomatic'

12:55pm June 23, 2020

by Pien Huang

A new study reveals that even patients who are reportedly asymptomatic — no fever, cough, fatigue or breathing issues — could sustain temporary lung damage from the novel coronavirus.

Researcher Claire McCarthy, also known as the "queen of dung," sits on a blanket with images of DNA, test tubes and beakers.

Health & Safety

They Call Her 'Queen Of Dung' — And She Doesn't Mind

12:47pm October 18, 2018

by Shannon Loelius

Millions of people burn animal dung for heating and cooking. To find out if the smoke can cause lung issues, researcher Claire McCarthy used some unorthodox methods.

An image from an electron microscope shows a type II alveolar cell, found in the air sacs of lungs. In the cell's cytoplasm (pink) are lamellar bodies (purple), which contain surfactant.

Experimental Lung Treatment Could Make Breathing Easier

9:55am May 02, 2018

by Joe Palca

Lung surfactant coats tiny air sacs in the lung. Without it, every breath is a struggle, like blowing up millions of little balloons. With surfactant, breathing is as easy as blowing soap bubbles.

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Residents of the community of Tujunga, Calif., flee a fire near Burbank on Sept. 2. Even people much farther from the flames are feeling health effects from acrid smoke.

Is All That Wildfire Smoke Damaging My Lungs?

11:54am September 11, 2017

by Jane Greenhalgh

Forest fires have brought a smoky haze to the West, along with stinging eyes, sore throats and headaches to people far from flames. Unseen particles of ash also make it hard for some to breathe.

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A screenshot of fire conditions on AirNow.gov, with orange icons showing fires and gray representing smoke.

Wildfire Smoke Becomes The Health Threat That Won't Go Away

2:44pm August 26, 2015

by Nancy Shute

Cities and towns across the West are warning residents that high levels of smoke from forest fires threaten their health, with no sign of abating. That means indoor recess and no vacuuming.

Researcher John Clements in the early 1980s, after he figured out that lungs need surfactants to breathe.

How A Scientist's Slick Discovery Helped Save Preemies' Lives

9:05pm August 03, 2015

by Joe Palca

Sometimes one person's insight transforms medicine. Dr. John Clements is one of those people. In the 1950s he discovered a slippery lung substance key to breathing, and to the survival of tiny babies.

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