Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-I: Introduction01:20

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-I: Introduction

3.2K
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a long-lasting respiratory condition requiring continuous attention and care. It is a progressive lung disease that leads to breathing challenges due to airflow obstruction. It manifests as persistent respiratory symptoms and restricted airflow resulting from abnormalities in the airways and alveoli, usually due to long-term exposure to harmful particles or gases. COPD mainly consists of two primary conditions: emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
3.2K
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-II: Pathophysiology01:20

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-II: Pathophysiology

3.7K
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) pathophysiology is intricate and multifaceted, involving a complex interplay of physiological processes. Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for effectively managing and treating COPD. Here is an in-depth look at the critical elements in the pathophysiology of COPD:
Chronic Inflammation
3.7K
Breathing01:05

Breathing

62.7K
The process of breathing, inhaling and exhaling, involves the coordinated movement of the chest wall, the lungs, and the muscles that move them. Two muscle groups with important roles in breathing are the diaphragm, located directly below the lungs, and the intercostal muscles, which lie between the ribs. When the diaphragm contracts, it moves downward, increasing the volume of the thoracic cavity and creating more room for the lungs to expand. When the intercostal muscles contract, the ribs...
62.7K
Types of Toxins01:36

Types of Toxins

2.9K
Humans continually engage with an environment rich in potentially harmful chemicals. These are introduced to our bodies through inhalation, ingestion, or skin contact. These chemicals exist in various forms, such as air and environmental pollutants, agricultural chemicals, organic solvents, and heavy metals.
Air pollutants, primarily gases, pose significant threats to respiratory health, leading to conditions like hypoxia, lung cancer, and in extreme cases, death.
Environmental pollutants like...
2.9K
Pulmonary Cycle: Exhalation01:17

Pulmonary Cycle: Exhalation

2.5K
In terms of human respiration, the act of expelling air, known as exhalation (or expiration), operates on the principle of pressure gradients. During expiration, the pressure within the lungs exceeds that of the surrounding atmosphere. Under normal conditions, quiet breathing involves passive exhalation and is free of muscular contractions. This is because the exhalation process is driven by the natural elastic recoil of the lungs and chest wall, both of which have an inherent tendency to...
2.5K
Upper Respiratory Drugs: Antitussives, Expectorants, and Mucolytics01:23

Upper Respiratory Drugs: Antitussives, Expectorants, and Mucolytics

680
Respiratory symptoms, such as congestion and cough, commonly accompany respiratory tract conditions. Various medications, such as antitussives, expectorants, and mucolytics, play crucial roles in providing relief.
Antitussives include codeine, dextromethorphan (Robitussin), and benzonatate (Tessalon). Codeine and dextromethorphan exert their effects centrally by suppressing the cough reflex center in the medulla.  Benzonatate operates peripherally within the respiratory tract by...
680

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The Impact of Enteral Nutrition Type, Volume, and Time of Introduction on the Risk of Growth Failure and Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia in Preterm Infants.

Nutrients·2026
Same author

Tailored Levofloxacin Incorporated Extracellular Matrix Nanoparticles for Pulmonary Infections.

International journal of molecular sciences·2025
Same author

Neutrophil Elastase Targets Select Proteins on Human Blood-Monocyte-Derived Macrophage Cell Surfaces.

International journal of molecular sciences·2024
Same author

Neutrophil elastase activates macrophage calpain as a mechanism for phagocytic failure.

American journal of physiology. Lung cellular and molecular physiology·2024
Same author

Association of Right Ventricular Dysfunction with Risk of Neurodevelopmental Impairment in Infants with Pulmonary Hypertension.

Children (Basel, Switzerland)·2024
Same author

Neutrophil Elastase Degrades Histone Deacetylases and Sirtuin 1 in Primary Human Monocyte Derived Macrophages.

International journal of molecular sciences·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 21, 2025

Generation of a Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Model in Mice by Repeated Ozone Exposure
08:17

Generation of a Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Model in Mice by Repeated Ozone Exposure

Published on: August 25, 2017

11.3K

Environmental Pollution and the Developing Lung.

Judith A Voynow1, Richard Auten2

  • 1Division of Pediatric Pulmonology, Children's Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298.

Clinical Pulmonary Medicine
|January 13, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Prenatal exposure to air pollution, including tobacco smoke and fossil fuel emissions, harms infant lung development and increases risks for respiratory diseases like asthma and COPD. These early exposures can have lifelong consequences for lung health.

More Related Videos

Development of a Neonatal Piglet Acute Lung Injury Model Recreating the Early Environment of Preterm Infant Lungs
08:58

Development of a Neonatal Piglet Acute Lung Injury Model Recreating the Early Environment of Preterm Infant Lungs

Published on: October 31, 2025

278
Measuring Carbon Content in Airway Macrophages Exposed to Carbon-Containing Particulate Matters
05:18

Measuring Carbon Content in Airway Macrophages Exposed to Carbon-Containing Particulate Matters

Published on: July 12, 2024

548

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Nov 21, 2025

Generation of a Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Model in Mice by Repeated Ozone Exposure
08:17

Generation of a Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Model in Mice by Repeated Ozone Exposure

Published on: August 25, 2017

11.3K
Development of a Neonatal Piglet Acute Lung Injury Model Recreating the Early Environment of Preterm Infant Lungs
08:58

Development of a Neonatal Piglet Acute Lung Injury Model Recreating the Early Environment of Preterm Infant Lungs

Published on: October 31, 2025

278
Measuring Carbon Content in Airway Macrophages Exposed to Carbon-Containing Particulate Matters
05:18

Measuring Carbon Content in Airway Macrophages Exposed to Carbon-Containing Particulate Matters

Published on: July 12, 2024

548

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Pediatric Respiratory Medicine
  • Toxicology

Background:

  • Environmental tobacco smoke and fossil fuel combustion pollutants pose risks to infants and children.
  • Indoor and outdoor air pollution worsen existing chronic respiratory diseases and infections.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the impact of antenatal (prenatal) air pollution exposures on infant and child respiratory health.
  • To examine how maternal exposure to pollutants affects fetal lung development and long-term respiratory outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Review of scientific literature, including rodent and primate studies on maternal pollutant exposure.
  • Analysis of epidemiological studies investigating the effects of air pollution on infant and child lung function.

Main Results:

  • Maternal exposure to tobacco smoke and air pollutants causes in utero growth retardation, lung remodeling, and immune activation in animal models.
  • Epidemiologic data show prenatal air pollution exposure reduces lung function in children, potentially persisting into adulthood.
  • These exposures increase the risk of asthma and respiratory infection morbidity in early life.

Conclusions:

  • Environmental air pollutants contribute to the childhood origins of chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD).
  • Prenatal pollution exposure impairs normal lung development, promotes inflammation, and limits repair capacity.
  • Early-life air pollution exposure increases susceptibility to adult-onset lung disease and reduces resilience to environmental and infectious challenges.