Anatomy
Alveoli
Tiny air sacs in the lungs where gas exchange occurs. The alveoli provide enormous surface area for oxygen to enter the blood and carbon dioxide to exit.
Biological Context
Human lungs contain 300-500 million alveoli, providing about 70 square meters of surface area (roughly a tennis court). Alveolar walls are extremely thin—just one cell thick—to facilitate gas diffusion. The fractal branching of the bronchial tree maximizes alveolar surface area.
Business Application
Organizational alveoli: the numerous small touchpoints where exchange with the external environment occurs—customer interactions, supplier relationships, market transactions. Surface area determines exchange capacity.