Definition of Surfactant – What is, Meaning and Concept

Surfactant is a term derived from surfactant, an English word. This, in turn, is an acronym formed from the expression surface active agent (which can be translated as “Surface active agent”).

A surfactant is an element that acts as Detergent, emulsifier or moisturizer and what allows reduce surface tension that exists in a fluid. These are generally substances that influence the contact zone that is created between two phases.

It should be noted that surface tension refers to the level of Energy that is needed for a liquid to increase its surface area per unit area. This means that there is a resistance in the liquid to increase the surface.

Surfactants, which are also called surfactants or surfactants, are made up of parts hydrophobic (that reject water) and parts hydrophilic (which are soluble in water). Thus, when surfactant binds to Water, the molecules of the first group remain at the surface level, while the hydrophilic ones submerge. This causes bubbles to form, for example.

Due to these characteristics, detergents They are used to wash certain objects. These surfactants, when they come into contact with water, trigger various phenomena that allow the generation of foam and drag the grease and other substances adhering to what is to be washed.

It is known as lung surfactant, finally, to a substance found in the alveoli of the lungs and that contributes to minimizing the alveolar surface tension. This surfactant is composed of protein, neutral lipids, phospholipids and other substances.

Of its components, 80% are phospholipids, and in this group the dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (known simply as DPPC or surfactant factor), which is produced by type II Pneumocyte cells, which are present in the alveolar epithelium and are cube-shaped. Although DPPC is capable of reducing alveolar surface tension on its own, the rest of the aforementioned components also fulfill necessary functions, such as increasing the immunity to pathogens that enter through inhalation.

As explained in previous paragraphs, pulmonary surfactant is also a surfactant, that is, when it comes into contact with water it undergoes a modification in its tension superficial. When pulmonary surfactant is secreted, it becomes a thin film that comes into contact with air and spreads over the entire alveolar epithelium.

In addition to reducing the tension that occurs in the alveoli throughout the process respiratory (more specifically during exhalation), the pulmonary surfactant also offers an immunological action against viruses and bacteria that enter together with the air, to prevent them from going beyond the capillaries and beginning to invade the bloodstream; If it weren’t for this substance, both the lungs and other organs would be highly exposed to various infectious diseases.

Several hormones and other substances in our body, such as prolactin, thyroxine, glucocorticoids and estradiol, are responsible for stimulating the generation of pulmonary surfactant. On the other hand, there are also others that perform the action opposite, that is, they inhibit its production, and among them we find androgens and insulin.

The function of the lungs depends largely on the amount of surfactant it has, as well as its quality, since deficient levels or certain defects in its composition can lead to considerable alterations, such as hyaline membrane disease, which affects premature newborn babies, making it difficult for them to breathe and putting their lives at risk.