air sac

noun
1.
a sac containing air.
2.
alveolus (def 2).
3.
any of certain cavities in a bird's body connected with the lungs.
4.
a saclike dilation of the wall of a trachea in many insects.
Origin
1820-30
British Dictionary definitions for air sac

air sac

noun
1.
any of the membranous air-filled extensions of the lungs of birds, which increase the efficiency of gaseous exchange in the lungs
2.
any of the thin-walled extensions of the tracheae of insects having a similar function
air sac in Medicine

air sac n.
A tiny, thin-walled, capillary-rich sac in the lungs where the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide takes place. Also called alveolar sac.

air sac in Science
air sac  

  1. An air-filled space in the body of a bird that forms a connection between the lungs and bone cavities and aids in breathing and temperature regulation.

  2. See alveolus.

  3. A saclike enlargement in the trachea of an insect.

  4. A baglike piece of skin or tissue below the jaw of certain animals, such as the bullfrog and orangutan, that can be inflated to increase sound production.


Encyclopedia Article for air sac

any of the air-filled extensions of the breathing apparatus of many animals. Air sacs are found as tiny sacs off the larger breathing tubes (tracheae) of insects, as extensions of the lungs in birds, and as end organs in the lungs of certain other vertebrates. They serve to increase respiratory efficiency by providing a large surface area for gas exchange. See also pulmonary alveolus.

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