I was reading a publication by M Ochs, The Closer we Look the more we See? Quantitative
Microscopic Analysis of the Pulmonary Surfactant Sustem, Cell Physiol Biochem 2010;25:27-40 and I could not help be renew my awe for how the lung works, its fantastic biology, chemistry, order, and continued unknowability.   I am cutting and pasting from his introduction, a beautiful ode to the lung.
“Each day a human being inhales and exhales more than 10,000 liters of air. Within the lungs, the exchange surface for the diffusion of gases is distributed over about 300 to 500 million alveoli and is as large as 120 – 140 m² (nearly the size of a tennis court). At the same time, the thickness of the exchange barrier is only about 2 ìm (50 times thinner than a sheet of air-mail stationary). This large and delicate surface has to be protected against collapse as well as against invasion of pathogens. For both, biophysical and immunomodulatory, functions, the pulmonary surfactant system is principally responsible. Thus, the integrity of the pulmonary surfactant system is essential for normal lung function. Basically, surfactant helps to keep the large alveolar surface of the lung open, dry, and clean”. To reiterate this ode, graphically, here is my Andy Warhol-style diagram of an alveolar type II cell (failed cover submission to Microscopy Today, sob sob).

More info on alveolar type II cells from Ochs, M: In humans, a single type II cell contains about 200-500 lamellar bodies, whereas in mice one finds about 50-100 lamellar bodies per type II cell.