肺泡是肺部的实质组织最末一级（24级）分支，外呼吸中气体交换的场所。成人肺中肺泡数目约为3亿。其大小约为0.2 mm。许多肺泡共同的开口于肺泡囊。

肺泡的组成：

肺泡与肺部毛细血管紧密相连。两者的膜大部分融合，有助于气体的快速扩散。而肺泡表面液体层，I型肺泡细胞与基膜，薄层结缔组织，毛细血管基膜与内皮组成了所谓的气-血屏障。

由于毛细血管内皮的对液体的通透性比肺泡细胞内皮的要高，心力衰竭患者体液会渗出到结缔组织中，造成间质性肺水肿。

An alveolus (plural: alveoli, from Latin alveolus, "little cavity") is an anatomical structure that has the form of a hollow cavity. Found in the lung parenchyma, the pulmonary alveoli are the terminal ends of the respiratory tree, which outcrop from either alveolar sacs or alveolar ducts, which are both sites of gas exchange with the blood as well. Alveoli are particular to mammalian lungs. Different structures are involved in gas exchange in other vertebrates. The alveolar membrane is the gas-exchange surface. Carbon dioxide rich blood is pumped from the rest of the body into the alveolar blood vessels where, through diffusion, it releases its carbon dioxide and absorbs oxygen.