In fibrosis, what happens to the tendency of lungs to collapse?

In fibrosis, the lung tissue becomes thickened and scarred, which significantly impacts the lung's ability to expand and contract properly. This scarring decreases the overall compliance of the lungs, meaning they become stiffer and less able to inflate during inhalation. As a result, the surface tension and other forces that couple the lungs to the pleural cavity become altered, making it more difficult for the lungs to remain inflated.

With the increased stiffness and decreased compliance, there is a greater tendency for the lungs to collapse or collapse more easily when not actively inflated. In this pathological state, the mechanisms that normally help keep the lungs expanded are compromised, leading to a greater tendency to collapse compared to healthy lung tissue. Thus, the correct response is that the tendency to collapse is indeed increased in the context of pulmonary fibrosis.