Final answer:
A hole in the chest wall or lung allows air to enter the chest cavity, disrupting the negative pressure, leading to lung collapse or pneumothorax. Treatment for this involves applying suction to reinflate the lungs.
Step-by-step explanation:
If there is a hole in the chest wall or a hole in the lung, the negative pressure that normally holds the lungs open is disrupted. Due to this, the lungs would collapse due to the surface tension in the alveoli, as they rely on liquid adhesion to the chest wall to stay inflated. Collapse of the lung, also known as pneumothorax, occurs when air is allowed to enter the chest cavity, breaking the seal between the lungs and chest wall, resulting in one or both lungs collapsing. To treat this condition and reinflate the lungs, physicians apply suction to the chest cavity to reestablish the necessary negative pressure.