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The research topic I decided to study was the differences in the anatomy and physiology of the pair of lungs of a person who smokes weed, someone who vapes, and someone with healthy lungs, which ties into the course objective “Analyze the effects of disease on function and structure of the respiratory system” from unit twelve. I decided to focus on both the smoking and inhalation of vapes and weed because of how common they are today, especially amongst high school students as well as college students. It is important to recognize and acknowledge the damage these popular products can cause to our young and developing bodies, and how the consequences of our actions could affect our future day-to-day lives. Exposure to vape products has been linked to impaired lung function, as shown by reduced lung ability in test subjects. Case reports and observational studies show a potential association with lung injuries as well (Fahker 2025). The long-term effects of vaping have not been fully studied, as vaping is a new device and only short-term studies have been conducted, however experience with smoking shows that vaping has similar long term side effects such as cancer, pulmonary disease, and bronchitis. In my art piece in the vaping section, I depicted this risk by drawing the inside of the segmental bronchi, which when has been exposed to bronchitis and the other harmful side effects of vaping, will become inflamed, and provide less open space for oxygen to travel through, resulting in reduced lung capacity. Along with the inflamed segmental bronchi, I also included signs of bronchiolitis obliterans, more commonly known as “popcorn lung”. This disease is caused from the inhalation of toxic chemicals, in this instance a chemical called diacetyl, which was the same toxic fume inhaled by works in a popcorn factory, which is how the named “popcorn lung” became popular (ALA 2025). When the toxic fumes are inhaled, it damages the bronchioles and segmental bronchi, causing inflammation and scarring, which is visualized in my art by the popcorn like red splotches on the outside of the lung, which is what popcorn lung will appear like when someone receives an x-ray or CT scan. Popcorn lung is irreversible and can result in persistent dry coughing, shortness of breath, wheezing, fatigue, and dyspnea. The diagram of the vaping bronchioles compared to the healthy set of lungs shows how much inflammation is caused from vaping and stands for how ineffective and reduced your lungs become due to the prolonged exposure to toxic fumes.
When we look at the pair of lungs that smokes weed, no visual damage or scarring can be seen on the outside of the lung unlike the pair of vaping lungs, However, when the physiology of the lungs is examined on the inside, similar damage to the bronchioles and segmental bronchi can be observed. Weed that is inhaled has a clear connection to respiratory effects that affect lung functions cardiovascular risks, wheezing, sputum production, coughing, and cancer risks. However, the connection to cancer risk is very vague, and is not fully understood as more long-term studies need to be conducted, but due to weed typically having a deeper inhalation and use of unfiltered cigarettes (joints), the connection to lung cancer would almost be common sense (Alan 2025). Due to risks of bronchitis and other lung infections, in my art project I also depicted the bronchioles and segmental bronchi to be inflamed and full of mucus due to the elevated risk of decreased lung function. However, I decided to not add tumors to my art piece because of the lack of clear evidence of the connection between smoking weed and lung cancer, even if it can be heavily hypothesized.