~~The alveolar-capillary membrane~~ This is the site where gas exchange occurs in our lungs – aka the site where we take in oxygen and give off carbon dioxide. We all know cigarettes are bad 👊🏼, but how exactttly do they affect the lungs?? Our lungs are made of millions of elastic bubbles called alveoli (the blue bubbles, seen here). It's through the walls of the alveoli that we absorb oxygen from the air we breathe into our blood stream, allowing for oxygen delivery throughout the body - literally to LIVE ☀️🌊🏄 The toxins in smoke poke permanent holes in the alveolar walls, not only decreasing the area over which we can absorb oxygen, but also destroying the alveolar wall's elasticity. Well the lungs needed that elasticity to blow used-up air back out, to make room for new, fresh oxygenated air! 😳 Life-giving oxygen in the blood decreases ⬇️, used-up carbon dioxide rises ⬆️ The carcinogens in smoke are known to cause lung #cancer, but also get absorbed into the bloodstream causing (particularly devastating ☹️) cancers like pancreatic and bladder cancer. Last, we know smoking to drastically increase the rate of atherosclerosis, aka plaque buildup, in the walls of our arteries, increasing risks of heart attacks and strokes (double 😳😳) Not smoking, protecting the very organ that gives us life, well that's a #nobrainer 👌