compliance
compliance refers to how much effort is required to stretch the iungs and thoracic wall.high compliance means that the lungs and thoracic wall expand easily(Guyton and Hall,2005);low compliance means that the lungs resist expension.
the lungs normally have high compliance and expand easily stretched,and because surfactant reduces surface tension(West,2008)
resistance
airway resistance is a measure of the opposition to the flow of gases through the airways(Cotes et al,2006).it is the opposition to the blow of gases caused by friction between the walls of the airway and the gas molecules.an increase in lung resistance obstructs the flow of air through the lungs.
restrictive and obstructive diseases
understanding the concepts of surfactant,compliance and resistance means that we can categorize lung diseases that impact on either compliance or resistance.a decrease in lung compliance leads to restrictive lung diseases.an increase in lung resistance leads to obstructive lung diseases(table2).