Emphysema is best described as which of the following?

• A. A viral infection that inflames the airways
• B. A condition where the heart cannot pump effectively
• C. A disease in which the tiny air sacs and walls of the lungs are destroyed
• D. A form of cancer affecting lung tissue

Answer: (C)

Emphysema involves destruction of the tiny air sacs (alveoli) and the walls between them, which reduces the lung’s surface area for oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange and impairs elastic recoil, causing air trapping and breathlessness. This description fits because the key change is structural damage to the alveoli, not an infection, a heart-pumping problem, or cancer. Infections cause inflammation of the airways, heart conditions affect circulation, and cancer involves abnormal cell growth; none of those describe the loss of alveolar walls and surface area seen in emphysema.