Final answer:
A fine, bubbling sound heard during inspiration, associated with fluid in the alveoli and terminal bronchioles, is called crackles. This term specifically describes small explosive non-continuous sounds, different from rhonchi, wheezing, or stridor.
Step-by-step explanation:
A fine, bubbling sound heard on inspiration that is associated with fluid in the alveoli and terminal bronchioles is referred to as crackles. Crackles are small, explosive, non-continuous sounds that occur during inspiration caused by the popping open of small airways and alveoli collapsed by fluid or lack of aeration during expiration. This differs from rhonchi, which are lower-pitched sounds with a snoring quality, indicative of airway blockages; wheezing, which involves a high-pitched musical sound caused by airflow through narrowed airways, often heard in conditions like asthma; and stridor, which is a harsh, loud, high-pitched respiratory sound, often indicative of obstruction in the trachea or larynx.