Alveolar walls are thin because they are the main place in the lungs for oxygen and carbon dioxide to be exchanged.

Why are the walls of the alveoli so thin quizlet?

Why are the walls of the alveoli so thin? Thin walls allow more alveoli to be packed into a relatively small area. Thin walls prevent the alveoli from collapsing in on themselves.

Does the alveoli have thin walls?

Each alveolus is cup-shaped with very thin walls. It's surrounded by networks of blood vessels called capillaries that also have thin walls. The oxygen you breathe in diffuses through the alveoli and the capillaries into the blood.